Misadventures in Hetalia
by ShootingStar147
Summary: Joshua is a school teacher and a fan of Anime. What happens when he buys a DVD set that allowed him to visit a world unlike any other? A serious of Adventures that would be classified as "Misadventures" in some cases! OCxAustria, Nordics, Bad Touch Trio and all the gang we can cram in! AU, human names used for some characters and T for some language
1. Foreword

Foreword

Hello friends!

ShootStar147 here and I know its been a good while hasn't it? I do owe apologies to those following the "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon R" story. That story isn't "dead" or "done" but its at a point right now where I became so horribly stuck that I need it to take a breather for a little bit.

This for which you are reading is a foreword to a new series of stories that I'm going to be writing called the "Misadventures in Hetalia". Here are the basics that you will need to know for this story:

First off I am going to use mainly the countries that I have seen in the series and that had either fairly major roles or just the ones that I know pretty much everything for. As I actually finish Hetalia further (as of this writing I only really finished Axis Powers but I HAVE seen "Paint it White" and some "World Series" on Youtube) I'll be able to add more countries to the story so if there's one that I don't use and it's a favorite of yours then I sincerely apologize now.

Next item: "Worlds and Names"

This story takes place both in "Hetalia's world" and the "OC's World". Only the characters that I know the Human names for will be mentioned by them in the OC's World but otherwise it will be country only.

Finally…"Pairings"

I understand that there are pairings people like and I KNOW that there are some that are actually historical. I'm not gonna promise that I won't mess with some but I will try to keep most of them pretty well intact…hell one might have an "addition" but we'll have to wait and see

Anyways I know this was more of an Author's Note than anything but this story is dedicated to all of the fans of Hetalia and I hope I can do the calamity and hilarity of the series justice. I won't try to make it too serious but at the same time there are a couple of "serious things" that I want to do with it

Take care and the actual "Prologue" will be wrote shortly and Chapter 1 will be probably tomorrow but no promises


	2. Prologue

Prologue

"Dude I heard we are going to be having a special guest come to our next meeting!" An energetic young man with sandy blonde hair told his companion as they walked towards the meeting room in the grand building

"Yes I heard that as well. I wonder what this person is going to be like. Will he be someone like you or will he be someone like say Italy or closer to myself?" The gentleman asked his companion but before they could answer the question they got to the conference room and the sandy blonde threw open the doors like he had one too many cups of coffee in the morning! The brown-haired man just looked at his friend, facepalmed and slowly walked in behind his friend and taking his seat near the middle of the "left wing" as another gentleman with the bushiest eyebrows you'd ever seen would call it.

"Now that we need to replace another set of doors you American idiot would you kindly tell us why we are having this meeting!" The gentleman explained towards the person to whom he referred to as America

"Hmmph maybe I shouldn't since you are all grumpy and stuff. It sucks too because I got some really cool intel today from my friend before I came with Austria to the meeting." America explained and the blonde was now even more visibly annoyed

"Just apologize England. I want to get this meeting over with just like you do but I also want to hear more about this news." Austria told England and as much as it pained the blonde he turned towards his counterpart and uttered out two words that sounded more like he was passing a stone

"I'm…sorry" England finally sputtered out and America just waved his hand as if to say it was no big deal and then ANOTHER voice came up

"So does this have anything to do with the rumors that another gentleman will be joining our group?" A tall blonde in a German military outfit asked and America nodded but he really couldn't answer anymore until the "guest of honor" showed up

_Meanwhile in the "real world"_…

"Well…another day and another trip to the mall. Ya know…it sucks that I never have anyone to go with but what can ya do right?" The young man says to himself as he walked off to the bathroom, brushed his teeth and gets shaved andg roomed before heading out to his car and driving off towards a bridge to go buy a DVD from his favorite video store.

_30 minutes later_

As the young man pulled into the parking lot and makes a beeline for his favorite video he passes a few friends that he knows but when he's on a mission like this he generally doesn't stop to talk to too many people when he needs to get somewhere quickly. As he gets to the store he is greeted by the store clerk with a warm smile and he returns it before speaking.

"What's up Mitch?" The young man asked the clerk whom was ready to show him some of his latest merch that he got in. "Not much here Josh save a few wall scrolls and DVD sets nothing really out of the ordinary came in…well…except for one item" Mitch told Josh and they walked through the Anime sectin and Mitch showed an EXTRA LONG box set that was sitting on the top shelf. When Josh saw how long this was his first reaction was the normal reaction to anyone that saw a set like that

"WHAT THE…"

"I hear ya man" Mitch said cutting off the last word (use your imagination kids) "We tried to get it moved quickly but when people heard the price they thought it was a prank and refused to buy it." Mitch explained and when Joshua asked the price the clerk told him and in less time than it would take Doc Brown to say "GREAT SCOTT!" the money was in the clerk's hand and Joshua had the set bagged and was heading back home damn near breaking every speed limit imaginable and NOT getting pulled over for it!

When Joshua got home he immediately opened the set and looked for disc one. What he found was a disc that was labeled "introduction" and when he turned on the disc he couldn't help but wonder what he was looking at.

This disc's narrator explained that it was to introduce each country to him then afterwards he was to pick the one he "liked the best". The reason for this wouldn't be so much as explained but rather shown. When Joshua heard "shown" again the "What the…" reaction came into play but after about 90 minutes the narrator said "choose your nation now" and Joshua scrolled down to the one he actually liked best and not his home country either! When he picked it a portal/hole opened in his room and as he walked in there was but one thought that ran through his mind

*I'm not in New Jersey anymore!*

NEXT TIME…

Joshua has now entered the world where the countries of the world literally have human forms! What will happen between him and them and what's going to happen when they start coming over to his world?

The answer to this and other questions begin in Chapter 1 "World Meeting"

See you soon!


	3. World Meeting

NOTE: In this chapter I'm introducing two characters to the cast that weren't in the actual series (or at least not that I could find yet) and the reason for the additions will be posted at the end of the chapter so be sure to read the author's note at the end of it.

Now enjoy the first official chapter of "Misadventures in Hetalia": The World Meeting!

Chapter 1

"Sup dude!" America called out knocking Joshua out of his trance as he realized that he hadn't said word one since his arrival in the conference room. As Joshua blinked and tried to adjust to his surroundings he stammered out a response

"N-nothing much…um where…" But before he could finish his question one of the parties assembled at the conference decided to speak up and answer the question.

"This is a conference of all the world nations. We gather here to discuss (or attempt to discuss) issues within the world and try to solve issues as well as help each other with other trivialities." England said and when Joshua asked whom he was he introduced himself as such. Joshua was almost giddy and ran down his reasons for it.

"Ah England! Home of the Beatles, GENESIS, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and of course the Barclay's Premiere League! I think we'll get along just fine…despite me being an American like the guy sitting next to you." Joshua said as he pointed to America and England just beamed when he heard Joshua rattle off some of the major things from his country.

"I like you already good sir! Would you have a seat and I'll try to help introduce you to some of the other countries here." England told Joshua and he nodded as he took his seat which was between two countries that he hadn't met but was about to be introduced to a lot of them…just not that many that his head was going to be exploding.

"To your left and my right you have Austria, Prussia, Hungary and one of the Nordics in Iceland. The others couldn't be here today but I'm sure in time you'll meet them." England said and each Nation said their hellos and for whatever reason (and he couldn't explain it) Joshua was particularly drawn to Austria but he couldn't explain it. This didn't get past Prussia whom decided to have a little fun with it

"It looks like to me that our guest seems to have a thing for men with glasses! Be careful he has a psycho bit—" Prussia didn't get to finish his statement as Hungary (as if it was on cue) took a frying pan and blasted him upside the head! Josh heard the loud clang and grimaced knowing that he needn't get on her bad side anytime soon.

"Pay Prussia no mind Joshua" Hungary began "He tends to act this way because well they have an interesting 'love/hate relationship' and I think on Austria's part its more well deserved because Prussia likes to agitate more than be of any help." She explained and Joshua took that as a mental note to which Austria confirmed.

"You are welcome in my home anytime Joshua" He began "Since it seems you are a music lover maybe I can teach you how to play the piano or something when you come to visit." Austria offered and Joshua just smiled and nodded before getting back to the matter at hand.

"Sorry about that England…continue!" Joshua said and England did as such for the newcomer.

"Next to you on your right and my left we have Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and one of the Baltics in Lithuania. Latvia and Estonia were supposed to come but they have a hard time being around Russia for some reason." England explained and Joshua said his hellos to everyone and when Ukraine got up so did Joshua to avoid any…"incidents" which she understood completely and they shook hands. Surprisingly Russia didn't have his "Agent Orange" act up but then again that could be because of a party that walked in the room.

"You'll have to forgive my son. While he didn't do it now he tends to get a bit…aggressive against people whom want to show any form of kindness to his sister. He's kind of a protective brother so you just have to be careful around him." The woman explained which Joshua took note of and then asked for her name.

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself did I? You can call me 'Mother Russia' and this is my son. I hope that you two can try to become good friends in the time that you are together and do look out for him will you?" She asked and Joshua just nodded. While he did find it out that the "original Russia" was a guy it sort of came together when his "mother" showed up and pretty much saved all their asses. What other surprises were coming at this meeting?

"Damn dude I didn't know your mother was coming? I'd have saved a seat for her if I knew we'd be having more company" America said but he was about to get an unexpected (and apparently unwelcome) surprise

"You mean like the invitation I didn't get brother!" The female exclaimed that was standing behind America and that got his ass moving! He quickly got out of his seat and invited her to take a seat which she took, flipped her long green hair and then shot a look over to Joshua whom nearly shit himself with her death glare!

"What are you looking at?" She said snarkly and Austria almost got up from his seat but Joshua held him off "Oh so Priss has a problem with my attitude? Maybe its because he knows I never liked him and his snobbish attitude." She looked over next to him and saw Prussia and THAT started a bigger problem.

"Oh lookie here" She started again "Is this the so-called 'Awesome Prussia'? Tell me if you're so 'Awesome' then why does someone like Hungary kick your ass? Oh that's right…its because chicks rule and people like you drool!" She exclaimed and this time both Prussia and Hungary got up but Austria ordered them to sit down and FINALLY Joshua had to ask the penultimate question

"Well…now that it seems you want to lay waste to people who in the bloody hell are you acting high and mighty with hair like…THAT?!" Joshua asked and her look of shock was one that America never saw

"Me? I'm Liberty! Who the hell else would I be?" She asked quizzically and Joshua just left it alone but smiled at her shocked expression as she got up and ran out of the room which everyone (Including America) applauded him for!

"Sorry about my sister but she tends to get moody when new people come over. Hopefully it all blows over and you two can become friends but DAMN I give you mad props for that. You didn't even have to tell her off to get her to leave either! You're a bigger hero than me and that's saying something!" America exclaimed and Joshua just facepalmed before speaking again.

"Well ladies and gents" He began "I think I need to go for now but I promise that I will visit you all in kind at some point alrighty? Take care gang!" Joshua exclaimed as the portal opened back up and he went back to his room wore out from all the knowledge and drama that took place in that one day!

Little did he know that he was going to be visiting there quite a bit from then on…

NEXT TIME!

Music is a part of Joshua's life but what happens when he actually wants to try and learn the piano? I think you know where we're going next time

Next chapter: Joshua's piano lesson!

A/N: Alright so you probably noticed "Liberty" and "Mother Russia" right? Well "Liberty" is a reference to "Lady Liberty" or the "Statue of Liberty" and the hair color is pretty close to what the Statue ACTUALLY is here in America. You might not see her much but she's like America's bitchy sister and I wanted to have a foil for Joshua at least in this chapter

"Mother Russia" is a term that I have heard used for the country and was surprised when THAT wasn't how they represented the country in the series. You might see more of her but it depends on how either character is received.

Oh and I still kept true to the grudge between Austria and Prussia although I DO see something interesting happening in their future

Stay tuned!


	4. Joshua's Piano Lesson

Chapter 2

Joshua's Piano Lesson

"CURTIS-SENSEI!" A student called out as Joshua walked towards the classroom in his usual early manner. "What's up Emily?" Joshua asked the young girl as she caught her breath from running down the hall to catch up. "Did…you…hear…about…" Emily tried to finish her statement but Josh stopped her as he already knew where she was going with it.

"I am already aware of the assembly-type event that the school is putting on and yes I already agreed to take part in it. I just can't believe the song that the Vice Principal AND the Superintendent asked me to do!" He exclaimed as they made their way to the classroom door.

"Sounds like its going to be a tricky song for you if its got you annoyed like this. Is it that you CAN'T play the piano or is this song a little past your skill level?" Emily asked and Joshua had to think about how he was going to answer this question so as not to give anything away"

"I'm…basic in that I know the scales but I don't really play anything really complicated. Was I the only person he could ask to do this?" Joshua asked deflecting the fact that it required two people and this meant he needed a partner but who in the hell could he get? The good news was he had two weeks to figure that out and to learn it…right?

As the day passed Joshua didn't let any of the students see his anxiety or his frustration over the situation and he let his cool demeanor show but inside he was BOILING! He was so mad at the Superintendent and he was ready to flip shit if anyone asked him any questions about it. After class Joshua went to the music room and found the book that had the dreaded song that he was asked to do. What song was it?

"Mozart Sonata for Two Pianos in d, 1st movement"

Now…Josh would tell you that he could play some simple songs and reality was that he USED to be able to because he used to play in front of his grandparents all the time so before he started playing that song he made sure that he could still remember his scales and the good news was that he did…out of order but he remembered them! As he stared at the sheet music for the song he tried to think of anyone that could help him in his time of need and there was at least ONE gentleman that could help him but the question was "SHOULD he bug him for his own gain?"

Joshua was stuck at a crossroads because, while two weeks seems like a long time, in reality he was going to need a good amount of time to get this perfect AND he needed a partner! Who do you get when you need a partner for this?!

Joshua went home with sheet music in hand and he turned his phone on to see if he got any calls and therefore any hope that he could work on this song with someone. He knew who he wanted to call but did he have his number? That was the big question.

_Meanwhile…_

"Did you hear Austria" Hungary began "Our new friend is being asked to perform for an assembly at his school that he teaches at. I didn't know he was a teacher and I didn't know that he was a musician either did you?" The woman asked and this got Austria's attention. Joshua's meeting at the World Meeting might have been brief (for that he blamed Liberty) but he honestly liked the guy. He wasn't showy or anything like the "Bad Touch Trio" (especially Prussia and his second wife in Spain) but he seemed like a genuinely good dude. The problem came when he read the flier and saw what song Joshua was asked to perform. Luckily for him America had some Intel on how to get his cell # and Austria got it from Hungary and didn't hesitate to dial it…

*RING RING*

"Curtis residence. How can I help you today?" Joshua asked on his end and Austria immediately gave point for how polite the greeting was. This was going to be a good relationship he could tell.

"Josh its me Austria. I heard about your performance that you've been tasked with doing at your school. I gather that you'll need some help with tutoring and a partner am I correct?" Austria asked and Joshua politely gave an affirmative to the Aristocrat to which Austria continued. "Very good. Can you come to my place tomorrow after your done teaching and we'll work on the piece together. I'll also help you perform the song at your assembly." Austria told the young American and Joshua ALMOST squealed…but contained himself and politely said "Thank you" to his friend and Austria told him it wasn't a problem. Austria honestly felt that it wasn't going to take two weeks to learn the song and if it didn't then maybe Joshua could actually help him with some of his own issues not the least of which was a platinum blonde agitator named…

"HEY AUSTRIA I'M HERE FOR A VISIT!"

*Ahem*

Prussia

Ah yes Prussia…let's just say that Austria isn't a fan of this man. No one could blame him because he always believed that his s**t didn't stink and he was above reproach. If his brother wasn't Germany then Austria would have beat this guy senseless…or let Hungary do it depending on how he felt.

"Sooo how are things over here? Last we talked was at the meeting when Hungary went crazy and…" Prussia was cut off by a tap on his shoulder and a right cross from the woman.

"Don't you EVER have anything better to do than bug us Prussia? Austria has a very important assignment to do and he can't be bothered with the likes of you!" Hungary screamed at Prussia whom was still rubbing his jaw when he heard the last part of what she said and then just HAD to ask Austria about it…you know…cos he's nosy like that.

"You have an assignment? What did someone have to hear a boring lecture of the history of classical music or something? We all know Rock 'n Roll is where its at!" Prussia proclaimed joyfully and Austria just looked as annoyed as ever at the man before finally answering his question.

"You remember the young man that met us at the World Meeting yesterday? Well he got thrust into an unenviable position of learning a tricky piece of classical music and he's asked for my help. The good news is we have two weeks and I don't think its going to take that long but I'm worried for his psyche if this doesn't go quickly for him." Austria explained and that got Prussia's attention.

"So don't bug you for two weeks? I can do that and maybe I can have West bring some Wurst over or something. He doesn't drink does he?" Prussia asked sincerely and Austria shook his head before answering "I don't believe so and so for the time that he's here there won't be any alcohol or liquor here…am I clear?" Austria asked and Prussia was oddly enough a good boy and left that subject go as well as the house. Two weeks "Prussia free" began tomorrow and the two friends couldn't be happier!

_The next day_...

It was after school and Joshua got home as quickly as possible to make sure that he wasn't late for his appointment with Austria. If there was one thing it was he hated being late and he didn't want to keep the man waiting in case he had other stuff to do. As soon as he got home he threw his bag on the bed and punched up his sequence to get to Austria's place and what he found was a HUGE old-style mansion. As Joshua steadied himself he knocked on the front door and Hungary opened the door with a pleasant smile on his face as she greeted her new friend

"Well hello Joshua" She began "Austria is in the living room waiting for you. Come with me please." Austria commanded and Joshua followed while looking around at the big place and if his jaw wasn't connected to the rest of his face he would've been dragging it all over the place. Austria didn't f**k around did he?

As they made their way to the living room Joshua saw the man that was to be his teacher for two weeks and he couldn't be happier but he also knew that it was serious time for both of them. Getting this right for his school was a big deal and if he failed he didn't know what he could do as far as looking the Superintendent in the face or even his colleagues. Austria could sense the tension and tried to find a way to alleviate his worries.

"I know that two weeks can go quickly Mr. Curtis but I'm not going to let you fail and I'm not going to be too harsh with you. Its been a long time since you've done this I know and I'm going to help you any way that I can. We're in this together…understood?" Austria asked as more of a command than question and Joshua just nodded as they walked into the music room for the first time and Joshua took note of three pianos in the room. One that Austria typically used and another that was the two that were going to be used for the actual attempts at the song. Austria's first goal was to get Joshua to start with basics and then when he was ready they would move over to the double.

As if he was going to experience déjà vu Joshua did the same thing he did when he was trying to play the scale again and he played it out of order not once (because that's too few) but THREE TIMES! Joshua was ready to just blow a gasket when Austria put his hand on his should and calmly spoke to his friend.

"You're nerves are getting to you. Drink some of this and you might calm down." Austria said as he gave Joshua some tea that he had brought with him from the living room. It must of worked because Joshua this time did the scale correctly not once or twice but the same amount of times he failed it earlier.

Tea therapy…gotta love it!

As the day progressed Joshua started to get the hang of the basic chords all over again and started to be able to string them into some basic songs that Hungary picked out for him. By the time Joshua was done with day one he almost felt that he was ready to tackle the "big boy" but he also knew that Austria wasn't going to rush him.

Day two started with the way day one ended with Joshua playing the songs that he was asked by Hungary and also started to hit the notes that he knew he was going to need to be in tandem with his friend at the show. The question was going to be this: WHEN the time came how would he be able to work in harmony when he couldn't see Austria's hands?

This question was going to be answered…but not overnight as the duo worked on some more basic songs that Hungary picked out and on that weekend they took a break. Austria had to figure out the way to get them to be in harmony for the actual song but the question was simple: HOW?!

Wanna take a guess who had an answer?

On Saturday Hungary was in the kitchen with Joshua making some lunch for a picnic when the phone rang and Joshua saw the name on it. "I got it" He told Hungary and she nodded knowing it had to be "him" and sure enough…it was!

"Hello Prussia." Joshua said somewhat in a melancholy mood knowing that he was probably about to get ragged on by the plat blonde but he was about to be in for a shock. "Good Afternoon Joshua" He began "how's lessons with Austria going?" he asked genuinely interested. "Surprisingly well actually. We took a break for the weekend because we knew that this coming week was going to be a beast for us. I was hoping that it wouldn't but I got my class covered so there's no issues there." Josh told the man and he could tell that something was on Prussia's mind

"Have you figured out how to try and sync with his hands when you can't see them for the actual piece? I know that's going to be tricky for sure isn't it?" Prussia again asked with genuine interest and concern and Joshua just told him that it was and this gave him an idea. "Can you dance Joshua?" Prussia asked and Joshua, curious as to where this was going, nodded and told him yes as he waited to see where this was going. "See if he'll dance with you then. If you can time your steps with his…" He was cut off as Josh figured out where he was going

"Then we might be able to sync for the actual piano performance…am I right?" Joshua almost asked a little too excitedly to give away the plan but was able to keep it from Hungary's ears. "You're a quick study bro. You're almost as awesome as I!" Prussia exclaimed before taking it back to a semi-serious tone "Well listen dude you take it easy and enjoy the weekend but think about what I said okay?" He asked and Joshua nodded as he hung up the phone. Joshua liked the plan but he just met the dude. Could he POSSIBLY ask him to do….THAT?!

Unbeknownst to Mr. Curtis it appeared he wasn't the only one with the same idea…

In his bedroom on the second floor Austria checked himself in the mirror and made sure everything was as it should be but one thought lingered in HIS mind!

*Mr. Curtis…would you allow me this dance?*

Houston…s**t's about to get interesting!

NEXT TIME…

Prussia gave a plan to Joshua to try and help him for the "big show" but the big question is "Were they both outsmarted by the "Austrian Aristocrat"?

Next chapter: Beginning of a Bromance?

Author's Note: Thanks to those that have read this so far and the next chapter might be coming a lot sooner than you think

Take care!


	5. Beginning of a Bromance?

NOTE: This is officially the beginning of a sub story involving the OCxAustria. I KNOW this isn't a typical thing with Hetalia fans and some might hate it but its just something I thought I'd do for fun. If ya don't like don't read it

Chapter 3

Beginning of a Bromance? (Joshua's Piano Lesson Part 2)

(Mr. Curtis…would you allow me this dance?)

Yep…this was the thought that ran through the Austrian's head as he walked away from the mirror and headed down to the kitchen to see Hungary and Joshua standing ready as Joshua had the basket and Austria smiled at the oufit that Joshua had on. Apparently Hungary went into the closet and got a nice dress shirt and slacks out for their guest and that made the Aristocrat almost think he was looking into a mirror…little did he know that he was actually a lot similar to the New Jersey native than he realized.

"Are you ready Mr. Austria?" Joshua asked politely and Austria couldn't help but chuckle whenever he heard "Mr." come before Austria. This young man was truly different than some people he knew. "Yes Joshua I am and you don't have to address me with 'Mr.' whenever you speak to me. Austria or even Roderich will do." Austria told Joshua and this was the first time that Joshua heard that name. Hungary knew that he occasionally used it in meetings but this was the first time outside of a meeting that he actually mentioned it! Was this a sign of things to come?

After that revelation the two left out the main entrance and headed to a park about 5 blocks from the house. Along the way Austria and Joshua said hello to the various passerby on the streets and some of the merchants smiled when they saw the two of them together. It may have only been about a week since Joshua came to Austria's part of the world but there was that odd feeling in his stomach. You know the one right? It's the one that you KNOW you feel like you're home but you can't come to grips with it yet. Yeah THAT one!

As the two got to the park and laid out the blanket Josh got his soda out and Austria one of his glasses of wine that was carefully packed. Joshua respected the fact that the man drank wine and didn't ask him to not do it in his presence. That would be wrong and rude and that was one thing Joshua was not. One thing the duo also wasn't…was alone!

Did ya think he was going to the WHOLE two weeks without an appearance?

Behind a bush a few yards away Prussia was watching just over the top so that he could see what was going on between the duo and of course…he dragged a friend along with him!

Why not an appearance from another "BTT" member?

France stuck his head up over one of the bushes and observed the two but frowned when he couldn't hear anything. He wanted to get closer but knew that Prussia gave specific orders to stay back. He wanted to keep his promise to Joshua that they wouldn't interfere but Prussia's ears pricked up when he heard one interesting part of the conversation…

"So is it true that you wear glasses because of an accident with a horse? I think I might have read somewhere before I came last week that you had been kicked or trampled by a horse in the head and that's what caused you to wear glasses." Joshua told his friend and when he saw Austria look down he knew he hit something but his friend was quick to give an honest and precise answer.

"When I was a little boy my mom and dad took me to a stable to ride one of their prize horses. I thought I could master it about as quickly as I did a piano and tried to get the horse to go faster than I should have. We got to a jump and he made the jump fine but when I came down I fell off and somehow landed under the horse. He didn't see me and gave me a good punt to the side of my head which caused the eyesight to be weakened…" Austria trailed off and Joshua reacted as quickly as he could by sitting behind the gentleman and just giving him a reassuring hug and handing him a handkerchief to wipe the tears from his face and Josh told him to keep the hankie in case he needed it. After that…it was Josh's turn in the chair

"Similar idea here friend…just not with a horse" Joshua started "imagine climbing a ladder and it's a good ways up. The GOOD news is that you don't kill yourself but the trauma from the blow caused at least one eye to drift. That's basically my problem and to pinpoint when it was I was about….7 when it happened. My mom CLAIMED it was gonna toughen me up, and it did, but it also made me not trust her anymore. Somehow I managed to go through school and get my teacher's degree and become a pretty good musician too! I just gotta learn this song and get in tune with my partner before the big show ya know?" Joshua told his friend and while it wasn't nearly as emotional for him as it was Austria his friend felt bad because of his issues with his mother. He had similar issues with his father after the accident and to say that there wasn't some resentment would be an outright lie!

Back at the bushes…

"So Joshua and Austria are almost like one in the same no?" France asked Prussia and the platinum blonde man nodded. He never knew the reason Austria wore glasses nor did he ever see any real emotion come out of the man. The fact that he opened up even that little bit to Joshua was astounding and at the same time welcome. Maybe now he won't act like such a d**k to him when he can go back to his house.

Prussia was about to get up and walk away from his bush when he saw the two men hug and Austria do what he almost NEVER saw him do with Hungary: He kissed him! Okay it was on the forehead and it was just a peck but…still! The shock wasn't lost on France either as he saw this. Question became now how could THIS be looked at between the two? This technically WAS a student-teacher relationship after all right…RIGHT?!

As day turned to afternoon the two friends walked home together with Hungary waiting by the door with a smile on her face. She knew SOMETHING had happened between the two and the WHAT didn't bother her at all. One thing she told Joshua during the week was that she wanted her good friend to be happy and that was the most important thing ever. Josh had told her he had no romantic interest in him but she just simply replied "Don't be close-minded. You might not know what good thing you have till its not there anymore". Joshua mulled over that thought as he went to his room and laid on his bed. So much happened in one day and yet he knew that the next week so much more was going to happen. How would he react when it went down?

The answer came the next day as Joshua was told to head to the ballroom when he got dressed. Joshua was a bit confused until he remembered the question he was asked by Prussia on the phone:

"Can you dance?"

This is what Prussia meant and he knew more than likely he was about to get REALLY close with Austria. After the prior day THIS wasn't going to be nearly as awkward as he originally thought. Joshua had danced with people before and done slow dances, but never with another man and definitely NOT with a teacher!

Now let's first talk about the ballroom…it was just about as massive as the rest of the place. This was interesting to note because Austria told Joshua he rarely had any visitors over outside of Hungary (okay she's more of a live in now) and the "unwelcome pest" in Prussia BUT he always had this place in case it was "needed". Another fun fact was that there actually was a separate room that was built almost like this one. The difference was it was built attached to a walkway that was overseeing the first floor/lobby. Much like this room it rarely got used but Hungary hoped one day it might

_Patience my dear_

Speaking of…you probably are losing yours so let's continue shall we?

As Joshua walked to the center of the room and looked around Austria spoke in a calm and yet measured tone to his new friend. "The dance that I want us to do today is a very basic dance…matter of fact its going to be a typical slow dance and I just want you to follow my lead. When you perform the song that you were asked to in a few days you are going to need to be in time with them so this should be a good way to help you." The Aristocrat instructed and Joshua just nodded and went along with the young man's game

And yet still they were being watched…

Yeah…apparently they weren't getting away from the "Bad Touch Trio" without Spain having a spy on the duo. This wasn't to "mock" either gentleman per se but it was to "observe". Spain didn't want to try teasing Joshua because he didn't really meet the guy yet so he didn't know how he would act and he KNEW that Austria was just trying to help. What he also knew what that if Austria felt truly strong for someone he'd show it in some manner…hell there WAS a time they were married so he should know some things about him right?

As Spain watched from the walkway up above (and somehow out of sight) he watched as Austria and Josh moved in tandem without saying or doing anything. Heck…at times it appeared that Joshua was leading in the dance and got a touch fancy with it. Spain noticed this and ducked out of the way when he thought Austria was going to look up towards him. He knew that he sort of already had been spotted by the duo when Joshua looked up on the walkway and just nodded before focusing his attention on the charming man whom he was dancing with. Why was Joshua falling for Austria, a man, and why in the HELL now?!

As the dance finished (and Spain bolted) Joshua returned the favor from the day prior and kissed Austria on the forehead with a smile. Josh didn't know if this meant anything to him…yet but he did know that he enjoyed do this with Roderich! How was he going to explain this to his friends back home?

"That was fun Austria." Joshua commented with the smile still plastered on his face despite knowing that the work was going to be beginning soon and the hard work for sure! "I'm glad you enjoyed it Joshua and it was just as much fun for me as it was for you. Maybe one day we can have a party here with the other nations and just have fun…I don't see that happening especially with some countries wanting to still be indifferent but maybe someday…" Austria trailed off and Joshua put his arm around his friend knowing that if you wish hard enough a dream might come true and for Joshua unknowingly one might have just started to come true…one he didn't want to wake up from!

The big question is: Did Roderich sense it yet?

NEXT TIME

Piano recitals can be fun but what happens when the Axis, Allies, Nordics and other alliances show up in Joshua's school? The beginning of a VERY interesting adventure and one you don't want to miss

Next Chapter: Big happy family and Piano recitals

A/N: Yeah I decided to make this a three part arc but don't worry because beginning this next chapter more nations come into play (Including the Italy brothers) and I had to include the "Bad Touch Trio" in this chapter. To me it just seemed right to do so as the "bromance" starts to form. I'm not gonna say anything but at least one of these three might be more helpful down the line

Stay tuned!


	6. Big Happy Family and Piano Recitals

Chapter 4

Big Happy Family and Piano Recitals

"Dudes did you hear?!" America exclaimed as he burst through the doors of the conference room as if he had just drank about 20 Starbucks doubleshots! This earned an audible groan from England. "What is it America? If its about your announcement that France wears boxers with hearts on them we already knew that!" England exclaimed which earned a raspberry from the gentleman and France decided to…well do his best to get the ship righted.

"What's going on? It must be of some kind of importance for you to nearly take the door off its hinges again." France remarked and America turned and saw that the one door was just kind of hanging there and then sighed before delivering his news. "Austria is going to be doing a piano recital in a few days BUT, and this is the kicker, he's actually going to be doing it partnered with our friend in his world!" America exclaimed and this made England nearly choke on his tea. Not because he didn't want to see the recital…because he did but it has never happened before that one of them would be brave enough to cross borders into another realm!

"Well now this is interesting. Were you the only one to get an invite?" France asked America and he produced a stack of invites for England, Russia, France, Canada (he was in the room right?) and some of the other countries that were there and all that got invites were hooting and hollering that their new friend was going to be conducting this event. What's more…he was partnered with Austria!

At the Nordics home

"So this young man is doing a routine with a man named Austria. I can't say I know much about either but I think it would be cool to go see this. What do you guys think?" Iceland asked as he looked around the table and Norway was the first to speak up. "I think it's a cool idea and its something that none of us have experienced…who all wants to come to this?" Norway asked and it was unanimous that all were going to go even though Finland was a little skittish.

"I'm not sure that Joshua likes me." He said in a fairly sheepish voice and Sweden was the first to come to his comfort…after all what's a good hubby to do right? "Joshua doesn't know you well enough yet nor any of us really. I think this might be a good chance for us to get to know him and him us. If that works out then maybe you two can form a friendship but you have to get past that first hurdle right?" Sweden asked and he nodded all the while Denmark pounded back his last beer for the night with a smile on his face. "The Nordics in Joshua's world? This could be very interesting and something that every country could benefit from…let's do this!" He exclaimed and everyone was in agreement with the man and not for selfish reasons either. They legitimately wanted to show support for this man and this was their chance to do so.

Prussia and Germany's house

"So Joshua is doing a song with Austria?" Germany asked and Prussia just nodded as he went looking for their best outfits to go to the event. "Its interesting when you think about it West. Joshua is essentially a human but the bond that the two seemed to form over the past few days is such that you couldn't tell that Austria was well…a country!" Prussia exclaimed and Germany just nodded at this. It was definitely an interesting situation that fell over everyone.

"How do you feel about it bro?" Germany asked and Prussia stopped to think briefly before answering. "I'm all for it and I'll tell you why. Priss needs something in his life that he has been missing. He no longer is married to Hungary and Spain is well…Spain but he needs someone that's stable in some way and can help him with his problems. Did you know he was injured in a horse accident some years ago? I almost feel sorry for him but I know that Joshua genuinely cares about him…he just hasn't come to grips with his feelings fully yet and I'm not gonna rush him." Prussia explained to his brother and despite the "Priss" crack Germany noticed that Prussia wasn't anyone near as evil in his remarks about Austria. Has the "Curtis Effect" reached him like it did most of the nations?

_A Few Days Later_...

Today was the big day and to say that Joshua wasn't sweating bullets a little bit would be an understatement. The only thing that kept him from just about bolting for the door was the nice man that was standing to his right and the SLIGHTLY psycho woman that was standing behind him with a frying pan in Hungary. She claimed it wasn't to be used as a "threatening tool" but Joshua knew better and just calmed himself as the Principal stepped to the podium in front of the stage and began his introduction:

"Ladies and gentleman" He began "today is an interesting day as, for the first time in a long time, our colleague in Joshua Curtis is going to be performing on this stage and for the song in question he brought a friend: One Roderich Edelstein to assist him. Without further ado I think its time we let the two gents go and then I'll continue with the rest of the assembly. Now then it gives me great pleasure to say that performing 'Mozart Sonata for Two Pianos in D, K. 448; 1st movement' here is Joshua Curtis and Roderich Edelstein!" The Principal announced and the curtain came up. What followed next was pure harmony and no one knew how the two did it but about halfway through their could appear to be a great sense of joy on both their faces and as they got set to take it home and finished the crowd that was assembled gave a standing ovation and the roof of the assembly hall felt like it was going to come off! It was one of the more special moments in Joshua's life and as he walked down from the stage with Roderich, Hungary was close behind as they walked towards the side entrance with Joshua taking one final bow.

After everyone settled back down the countries that were there (and there were a lot) made their way to the parking lot where Joshua's car was parked and the first to speak was Prussia! "That truly was AWESOME Joshua! How did you learn that song so quickly?" The platinum blonde haired man asked and Joshua just looked at Roderich and smiled before he answered. "I had a great teacher friend that's all. When you have good teachers and good people to support you then anything is possible." Joshua explained and Prussia nodded.

"Will you be giving an encore of said song in the future?" England asked and Joshua shook his head "no" much to his disappointment but then Joshua reconsidered and answered again "Maybe if there's a special occasion. I do like this song but it requires a lot of timing and prep that its got to be a special time for me to do it." Joshua explained and then America asked the one question that bugged most people…

"Who's Roderich?" He asked and England was going to slap him upside the head before Joshua called it off and answered. Roderich is Austria. We decided to give him a more 'Human' name while he's in this world and this is also why when you guys start coming over to my place more often like say…the next few days then each of you will get a name that appears to suit your country. Besides…I love the name Roderich as I think it suits him don't you all?" Joshua asked and everyone nodded. The next person to have a question was Romano "How can you be friends with Potato Head's brother?" Romano asked and the "Potato Head" crack was in reference to Germany.

"Romano its an interesting question and since I'm part Italian I'll answer it this way…because he hasn't truly p***ed me off yet!" Joshua answered and that was satisfactory for Italy's big brother. After that question Joshua excused himself as he and Roderich headed back to Joshua's place but he did promise one thing: Soon he would have the different countries of the world over and soon they would receive the same treatment that Austria got i.e. they'd get THEIR names next!

NEXT TIME

With the number out of the way now how will Joshua coupe with having other countries visit his world? Better question is how will he deal with the "Bad Touch Trio" because they are up first!

Next chapter: Dealing with the BTT


	7. Dealing with the BTT

A/N: I would like to take this opportunity to thank those of you that have read this story up to this point. I maybe a little new to the wonderful world of Hetalia but I know how to put a spin on the story as needed and I felt that so far this has gone well. I thank you all for reading and following along so far and now let's get on with the story shall we?

Chapter 5

Dealing with the BTT (Bad Touch Trio)

Today was going to be a good day for Joshua! It had been a few days since the performance and the reviews were generally stellar. One or two trolls in the newspapers gave negative reviews but they were quickly retracted when people dumped enough p***ed off e-mails their way. Joshua had every intention of enjoying his Saturday all to his lonesome and that was his plan…what could POSSIBLY go wrong?

_Just wait_

Josh was sitting at his computer when he looked at the clock. The post office closed at Noon and he had to grab the mail before it did. He quickly got his t-shirt and blue jeans on and raced out the door despite the fact that he lived virtually near the post office so there couldn't POSSIBLY be any problems right?

_We're about to learn why you don't rush things kids_…

As Josh threw on his shoes his elbow hit his mouse when it was on a certain icon on his desktop. This SOUNDS harmless but when its what opens his gate to travel between his world and that of his friens…well things tend to get "sticky"! Joshua walked out the door and made it with a few precious minutes to spare as he grabbed the mail and headed back. As Joshua walked out of the Post Office he couldn't help but think that he forgot something important and the problem is he couldn't think of what it was!

_And then it hit him_

For whatever reason Joshua was about to head back into his room and check on his computer and there THEY were! Prussia was sitting at his computer, France was sitting on his bed and Spain was looking around the room as inquisitive as could be. In case you haven't figured it out the "Bad Touch Trio" had just come into his bedroom!

"Alright…I'm not going to ask how you got here because as I can see from where Prussia is sitting this was my screw up. I guess the proper thing to do is say 'Welcome' and begin the conversation correct?" Joshua asked and Prussia looked at his comrades and then nodded before Joshua spoke again "Welcome Prussia, France and Spain to my humble home. Its not a great big place but its adequate for me and maybe one other guest…just so happens that it appears I got THREE today!" Joshua exclaimed and Prussia got up from his chair after closing the program and, in his own "polite" manner gave a small lecture on safety of his program.

"You need to be more careful Joshua. Were you in some kind of hurry that you accidentally started it today. Rod (Prussia's nickname for Roderich) taught you a many thing I'm sure but patience appears to be not one of them." He scolded and Joshua nodded before looking at the other two. It should be noted that he was surprised to see Spain without Romano but he also didn't need a fight breaking out in the house. Its clear that those two have a very "awkward" relationship at times and Josh just wasn't dealing with it today!

"This is a very nice room Joshua" Spain began "Do you do all the cleaning in it yourself or do you have someone come over and do it?" He asked and Joshua told him that someone came over to do it. He did also tell him however that he did the organization of some of the items in his room like his games and DVDs. France being France happened to see a DVD that Joshua had forgotten to put away and decided to take a look at it…much to Joshua's embarrassment (and you'd have thought this was Prussia's department)

"What's this? Asian O-" France couldn't finish reading the title as Joshua put that carefully in his computer desk and locked the drawer that it was supposed to be in before scolding himself silently and then France verbally. "Alright so I'm not a COMPLETE neat freak! I apparently forgot to put away my *ahem* movie but I wasn't expecting company today either!" Joshua exclaimed and the Frenchmen nodded as they DID pop in uninvited but would he have invited the "Bad Touch Trio" on his own…chances are probably not but there was no way he'd tell THEM that!

Resigned to the fact that he had at least one guy in the room that he heard was connected to Austria in the room and the other two were just either flirtatious bastards or egomaniacs he knew that he had to show them around…G-AWD was today gonna be difficult all of a sudden! "Alright" Joshua began "Since I dunno what the hell we are all gonna eat HERE then let's go have a road trip to one of my favorite haunts: The mall!" Joshua proclaimed and the three gentlemen nodded in agreement but Joshua DID have one condition. "Please don't embarrass me…considering that I also think the reason you came here is because you want something that Roderich has…correct?" Joshua asked and when they realized that he deliberately substituted "Austria" with "Roderich" they all remembered why they were there and they all promised to try and not embarrass him.

As the quartet made their way to the mall Joshua wondered aloud how a trio that lived in a world that was different than his would manage in his world for a little bit and surprisingly…they didn't do bad! The first stop was going to be one of the game shops in the place and the clerk was in awe at the unique attire that at least one of the gentlemen wore. Joshua took notice of the glances but didn't say anything as he showed the trio around and explained the ins and outs of things. America would have known about it all but he wasn't involved in this field trip and Joshua technically WAS repping America here so…yeah!

After the game store France wanted to take a look around at some of the clothing stores. Joshua didn't mind and he and Spain went in while Prussia and he waited outside. To quote the "Awesome One":

"My fashion is MUCH better than those two any day of the week! My awesome attire (Yes he said that) is taken almost after my brother minus the military garb."

Funny thing is Joshua didn't disagree with the man he deemed "East" (wouldn't that make sense if Germany is "West…anyways) and figured that he would be (and *Spolier alert* WAS) the first to earn his "Human name" but he had to wait till they got back home for it…which he patiently did!

After Joshua sent Prussia into the store to drag those two out (They'd have been all day if he didn't) Prussia wanted to go to the food court and on the way there whom do you THINK they found in a sweet shop?

Anyone…c'mon? Ah you're no FUN!

Joshua told the trio to go on as he walked in to see Roderich looking at some of the candies in the store. The claim was that it was for Hungary but Joshua learned during his time with the Aristocrat that he tended to have a sweet tooth (And yet he would scold Italy? RIIIGHT Roddy) but he gave it a pass and told him that he was on a field trip with three other countries. When he told them which ones came through Roderich frowned but Josh told him that at least one was on really good behavior and when he told him it was Prussia he was surprised but also knew that Joshua didn't take any guff either.

As the two friends parted Roderich gave his friend a small kiss on the cheek again as he walked away and Joshua, to his credit, was able to compose himself as he met back up with the Trio at a table and they all had something different to sample! It went like this:

Prussia: Hot Dog

France: Pizza

Spain: Large Cheesesteak with Ketchup

The story behind that last one is that Romano said that if Spain got back to Joshua's world that he had to try something with ketchup (because its made with tomatoes) so he picked a cheesesteak!

After lunch Prussia stopped in a Hot Topic and got at least one t-shirt for him and paid for it before he left and then the trip to the mall was done for the day. As the quartet went home Prussia wanted to ask Joshua about his disappearance at lunch but he sort of had an idea why he went to the sweet store and didn't say anything about it. Since the first meeting Prussia consciously decided to make sure that Joshua was and stayed happy. If anyone acted like a prick to him they'd deal with him that was for sure and whether Joshua knew it or not yet the other members would look out for him too if needed.

When they got home Joshua told the boys to go in his room and "try not to make a mess" while he handled some business. This was obviously the moment that he was going to come up with their names for when they came to his place but what names would fit this trio? "Well Prussia is the brother of Germany so the last name will be the same…that I know but what can I do for his first name? Its either going to be goofy or awesome but I want it to fit him *snaps fingers* GOT IT!" Joshua exclaimed as he scrawled the first name down.

"Next let's do France. France is a fairly showy dude so that name has to reflect him and his manner…he might also want to change his attire so I don't have the clerk looking like *what the f***!* like today! But what can I do for him…GOT IT!" Joshua exclaimed as he got the first two names down. Spain was going to be a tricky one though. Not because of personality but because of he couldn't figure out a name that would reflect him proper. This one actually required some assistance so he asked Prussia to come out and give his opinion. When Prussia came out and pondered it some with Joshua he was stuck but came up with the best he could and Joshua actually liked the idea! With the names wrote down Joshua got the other two countries in the room and gave them their names.

"Alright gents" Josh began "first off today was a rather fun day and one that I was glad to have with you guys no matter how unexpected it was. Now I promised you that you'd get a name like Austria did if you behaved and you did! Prussia only had to come and get you guys one time and honestly, and he knows this, I thought Prussia would be the first to act a fool in the mall today but you all did well. Now let's get going." Joshua said as he looked over at Prussia first and true to his world he gave Prussia his identity first.

"Prussia" Josh began "First off let me say that you did an outstanding job today and I was quite pleased with your behavior and for that you got your name first which now will be 'Gilbert Beilschmidt' when you come here." He told his friend and Gilbert nodded and accepted it. Joshua did explain that Germany by default will get his he just had to work on it for when he came over and his friend understood that. "France…well you are a snazzy dresser but next time we go out try not to wear your war outfit. I had to explain to like 2 or 3 security officers that you weren't there to start trouble today. That being said you are going to be the second person to get theirs of the three here and yours is Francis Bonnefoy!" Joshua exclaimed and France thought about it, smiled and nodded at his comrade and took it gratefully. Now came the pain in the ass in Spain!

"Alright let me explain this one. I had to have Gilbert come out and help me with a name for you. Oddly he came up with the best one of all and that is Antonio Fernandez Carriedo! I kind of like that but I don't know about you." Joshua said and Spain just nodded. He knew that his would be hard and he was grateful with what the two came up with. By the time the meeting was over it was time for them to go and Joshua led them back to his room and as they left for the night one question came to his mind:

*How close is Roderich REALLY getting to him!*

In due time…he'd find out!

NEXT TIME!

Well Joshua survived a day with the "Bad Touch Trio" but next for him he got the Italy Brothers with Germany! What crazy mixed up adventure are THEY going to have?!

Next chapter: North, South, West…minus the East


	8. A German and Two Italians

Chapter 6

A German and two Italians

_Another day…another lecture_

This was basically the way the days have been going for Josh at school when he teaches. Not the "You shouldn't do this" kind of lectures but the ones that deal with History and how some of the events helped shape the world we currently lived in. It was sad but the fact remained that the school didn't want him going "off plan" like he was known for and it just made life SO…BORING for him that there were at least two occasions each day in the past 3 since his meeting with Prussia, France and Spain that he just wanted to tell the school to "F*** off" and be done with it. The part that sucked was he needed the job so he couldn't just quit unless there was a good reason. He felt like he had one but, at the time, he couldn't pinpoint it and it was bugging the f**k out of him to be frank.

As the day ended Joshua was all but exhausted when his friend Emily (remember her from the "Piano Lesson" Chapter) walked up to his desk and saw the state her Sensei and friend was in. "Is everything alright Joshua?" Emily asked and Joshua just looked up and nodded. He'd been sleeping right and the stress of the song was over, so what in the hell was causing this problem? "I'm hoping that after today and tomorrow I can sit home and crash and just not worry about anything for a good while. Its not that I don't like teaching…because I do, but dealing some of these students makes my head hurt." Josh explained and Emily understood where he was coming from. Things weren't easy for her because after school she always had to rush home and get changed before heading off to a cram school that she enrolled in. Ah the joys of being the daughter of a doctor AND an only child at that…life sucks!

Oh that reminds me…I never did tell you about Emily really did I? Here goes then!

Emily is, as I just mentioned, an only child of a wealthy doctor in the States and she became good friends with Joshua when he befriended her sitting her sitting off by herself one day a few years back. Emily claimed that she didn't distance herself from the classmates on purpose but just felt it would help her study better. Joshua was a little hip to this and convinced her that she could talk to anyone that she wanted to if she'd open up. It just so happened that Joshua was the one person she really confided in as a "Big Brother/Authority Figure" and Joshua took that role seriously and anytime she was being bullied he stuck up for her because he knew what that was like.

Fast forward to the now and the two are…well not inseparable but she does talk to him a lot in school. If only she knew about the adventures he started having and how things were turning out she might ask him to see a doctor. The problem there is he actually was having too much fun to stop…its just that some days the adventure (or "misadventure" as he called them) made things SO much more difficult but at the same time there was one person in that world that he had was good friends and he was VERY SLOWLY starting to come to terms with what Hungary said before…the question was now gonna be how soon and what event would take place to speed the process up?

As Joshua and Emily parted for the day he watched the "best dressed girl in school" walk him in her blue blouse and white dress. It wasn't a wonder that the guys that really liked her hit on her because she had the beauty to go with the brains and that was something that any man would kill for! When Joshua got home his mood actually picked up a little bit after receiving a phone call from one of the Nations whom decided to bring over some friends.

"Good Afternoon Mr. Curtis" Germany said and Joshua saluted as he answered the phone. "Afternoon Germany sir! What can I do for you today?" Joshua asked and Germany chuckled on the other end before speaking. "First off we aren't at war so 'Sir' will not be needed and second…I wanted to bring the Italy boys over if that's alright?" Germany asked and Joshua nodded. "That's fine but tell Romano to calm himself before he comes over. I don't need a fight breaking out between the two brothers alright?" Joshua asked and Germany obliged before coming over.

_Later that night…_

Joshua was sitting on his bed watching some TV when he saw the button on his computer beeping which meant it was time and when he hit the button Germany whom was flanked by Romano and Verazano popped in. Romano looked pissed as hell because he was with Germany but knew better than to act up around Joshua.

"Good Evening Joshua it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Romano and I'm Italy's big brother. I hope my brother wasn't too much of a pain when you met him at the World Meeting?" Romano asked and Josh shook his head no before addressing Germany. "The Italy's are gonna kill me here BUT Germany by default you're gonna get your name today. Since I know you are the brother of Prussia I have your last name as Beilschmidt and your first name will be Ludwig here. The reason you got your name now is because I respect a dude who is a soldier-type and that's cool with me. I have a plan for the Italy's and I think its gonna be a fun one…come with me boys!" Joshua exclaimed and they did as instructed as Joshua showed a table with ingredients for a pizza. Don't ask how they got there because Josh didn't know or ask. His best guess was Hungary but when asked about it later she denied it. (although Roderich did say he spotted her at the supermarket when he went but didn't question it)

Josh had the brothers make a Pizza using some of the ingredients on the table to see what they could do. Italy was sad it wasn't pasta but he bucked up to the challenge and actually made a mean vegetarian pizza. His brother…well he spent about 45 minutes screaming at his brother while his pizza was in the oven which Ludwig quickly put a halt to. Want to take a guess what the fight was about? Italy claimed that Joshua's friend Emily looked like someone that Roderich might know. Romano said that it was BS and Ludwig (after breaking up the mess) said that to his knowledge Austria was an only child. This intrigued Joshua as the pizzas finished with Romano and Italy placing theirs in front of Joshua.

Josh tried Romano's first which he actually told the elder Italian that it would have been great sans the mushrooms and then explained that he hated mushrooms which Romano took with stride. Ludwig ("Potato Eater" to Romano) chowed down on that pizza while Joshua tried Italy's vegetarian pizza and, despite being a meat eater, he actually enjoyed that pizza a lot and gave him the win BUT they both got names anyways!

Italy = Felicano Vargas

Southern Italy (Romano) = Lovino Vargas

After they finished the pizzas and hung out watching some TV and the Vargas brothers played Joshua's PS3 for a little bit they bid farewell but as they did one thing started to REALLY intrigue Joshua…

*Emily looks like a family member of Roderich's? I need to speak with him soon don't I?*

After the boys went home Joshua got on the computer and looked up Roderich's family history and didn't see anyone else in it. Were Lovino and Ludwig right? Was Roderich really an only child or did Italy actually see something before? This was going to require some minor investigation and there was only one person that he could ask that wouldn't raise suspicion

*RING RING*

"Hello"

"Gilbert? I need your assistance!"

NEXT TIME

Well Joshua met some of the important nations but now an interesting mystery awaits us. Whom is this person that Italy thought he saw and what is the connection to Roderich?

Next Chapter: Austria's gender bender OR Dance Fever


	9. Dance Fever

Chapter 7

Dance Fever

It had been a few days since Joshua called Gilbert and told him about the argument that the Vargas boys had. The question that Joshua had to ask his albino friend was a simple one but one that would require some invasion into Austria's privacy and this was explained to Joshua over the phone. The young man from New Jersey thought about that long and hard and agreed to not do so much as pry but they agreed to see if any hints popped up while Joshua was handling things on his end of the "plane" as they called it.

As Joshua's day wore on in his world he observed Emily and she was a lot more outgoing than she used to be. Josh chalked this up to his coaching (which she always credits) so that wasn't a shock but he did hear something interesting during the conversation.

"So Emily" The one student began "How's your friend doing that you penpal with? We know he's not from here but can you tell us something about him?" the student finished and it was noted they said "pen pal". To Joshua's knowledge Emily never told him about a pen pal but it got better. "He's doing quite well actually. He told me that a family member would be coming to visit his home soon and someone else would be coming to. He hasn't given me any more details because he didn't know how one of his other friends would take it. I think his friend will be pleasantly surprised though." Emily remarked and then when Joshua heard "family member" he knew to rule Emily out but who IS this person that he has coming to visit?

_Meanwhile in Prussia's end_…

Gilbert was trying to find out anything that he could when it came to this mystery person that was coming to Austria's place. From the texts he got from Joshua it was determined that Emily has a pen pal and this person had a family member coming over. Putting 2 and 2 together would tell you that it was Roderich but they couldn't prove it. He was either going to have to go bug Austria for info (not happening) or look for any form of clues that would help them.

Later that day Gilbert and Ludwig went to go visit America at his place. Liberty wasn't home (Thank God) and they were able to ask him if he knew anything about Austria's mystery guest. All America knew was that was a she and she was a few inches shorter than Roderich. Gilbert took this information and texted it to Joshua while America asked what was going on.

"Our friend Joshua had Feliciano and Lovino over with my brother recently and during their visit it was noted that supposedly Emily looks like a family member of Austria's. We can't prove this because the THOUGHT was that Austria was an only child. According to Joshua now that might not be true." Gilbert explained and Ludwig confirmed. America nodded at this info and agreed to help if he could. The problem was that he didn't exactly go see Austria a whole hell of a lot so his help would definitely be limited.

Germany had a theory that was so far out there that it might actually have been true…

"What if the 'family member' is really him crossdressing as a woman?" Germany asked and he had two heads snap in his direction as he continued his theory. "I've been to the house a lot and I can tell you that I haven't seen many pictures of any females outside of Hungary. I DO know that if you go into his bedroom, which I've only been in twice, He does have some women's clothes in his closet and they AREN'T Hungary's. Hers are in her room where you'd expect them to be." Ludwig explained and America now had to have a serious ponder. There WAS the one occasion he went to his house and when he went to the living room he did notice that Austria was in a blue blouse, white skirt and black boots that looked to be more for a woman. What's more is that his hair wasn't done up in its traditional style but something out of a magazine…it was a very tasteful and classy do for him but it was still out of the norm. The group pondered about this until China popped in for a visit.

"I can help you with the reason why he was dressed that way that day" He explained and the trio shot a look over to the elder nation waiting to hear the answer. "I had been over there a few days before America was and Hungary and Prussia were joking about how 'girly' Austria acted. Because of this Austria said he would dress up for one day as a woman and feel what its like. Its not unlike what I had to do once for you guys!" China exclaimed and America nodded as he looked over at the other two. What that the simple explanation? It could be but they felt there was more to it because why in the hell did he have the other dresses in the closet?

_A few days later at Austria's house_…

Hungary and Joshua were hanging out in the upstairs study watching some TV after what had been an exhausting couple of days and honestly the only lead that they had dealt with an "encounter" that Joshua had with someone that was coming from the music room.

FLASHBACK

A day after the meeting with members of the Axis and Allies Joshua headed over to Austria's place to hang out and to talk to the two about some stuff that had gone down with the Italy brothers and the Bad Touch Trio. After that brief exchange of information Roderich headed off to the music room and Joshua helped Hungary with the dishes. When he got done he walked towards the direction Austria went and he passed someone in the hallway that he could have sworn LOOKED like Roderich but was a bit more…"girly"! She looked like one, walked like one and just had to be one. This was confirmed when he looked in the room and saw Austria sitting at his piano. Josh didn't ask him about what he saw because he didn't want to seem nosy or intrusive so he left it alone

The next day when Hungary and Joshua were out hanging the laundry (and for some reason had to do Finland's…BLECK) and when Joshua looked up on the second floor he could have sworn he saw the same woman he saw the day prior. Hungary barely caught a glimpse of her and thus the mystery continued because this time when Hungary asked her friend about the girl Austria didn't know what she was talking about!

END FLASHBACK

So this takes us back to now with Joshua and Hungary watching some TV and trying to get a grip on this mystery. They KNEW that Gilbert was coming so that wasn't a big deal but supposedly this was the day that the "family member" was coming. How would they know though.

They didn't have to wait long to find out!

While the duo was sitting in the upstairs TV room Joshua heard music coming from the ballroom and it was a bit more uppity than normal fare. Joshua and Hungary took a look to see Prussia and Austria having a grand time doing a dance to some song that Joshua damn near knew the choreography for by heart but the tricky part was that the music was coming from two rooms! This meant that something was going on in the secondary room up on the walkway and then it started to hit Josh and when he went to the secondary room and watched from the top of the stairs in there.

What he saw was a female version of Prussia and Austria dancing together to the same song that the male counterparts were! When Joshua walked out of the room and showed Hungary the big question became "How did they keep this from them?" When the song ended and Roderich and Gilbert were in the music room the…doppelgangers, clones or whatever you wanted to call them were in the same room with their male counterparts and Hungary had but one question:

"Who are you and why are you here?"

The woman had a simple answer

"My name is Ridina Edelstein and I'm here to talk to Joshua, the man my half-brother wants to be his"

NEXT TIME

Ridina's in the house and she made her intentions clear! What will become of Austria and Joshua's relationship after this? Will Ridina try to accelerate things between the two, will she try to stop them or will she just not care?

Next chapter: Ridina's Message


	10. Ridina's Message

Chapter 8

Ridina's Message

("My name is Ridina Edelstein and I'm here to talk to Joshua, the man my half-brother wants to be his")

Well…its good that we got two things out of the way in that statement: The person's name…and apparently Roderich's intentions!

The statement that the young lady made just about froze the room in time! It was as if everyone that stood in that room at that point in time couldn't say or do anything let alone move. It was a statement that rocked the house and the group speechless for a good little bit. When they finally DID start speaking again Joshua was the first to open his beak.

"Let me first say Ms. Edelstein that it's a pleasure to meet you. I am the first to admit that I didn't know Roderich had a sister/half-sister. I was under the initial impression as I'm sure Hungary here was that Austria was an only child." Joshua explained calmly and as he gauged the expression on Ridina's face it went from that of intensity to that of…it was either compassion, sympathy or an outright sucker job so that she could "hit him where it hurts" in a minute. The interesting thing was he was pretty much wrong on ALL accounts!

"I'm glad to see that where you are from Mr. Curtis that they teach you respect and courtesy but you do not have to use the 'Ms.' Prefix with me for the rest of our conversations. I've been aware of my brother's dealings with you over the past month or so and I think I have a good grasp on your respect level to my brother. For that I commend you and you can just address me as Ridina during the rest of this conversation and any future ones we have. Is that alright?" The younger Austrian asked and Josh nodded in response.

"Now I know that you are probably wondering why I'm here as Hungary asked already correct?" Ridina asked and Josh again nodded. This lead the young girl to explain it…sort of! "Joshua I'm here because I wanted to meet the man that my brother appears to have fallen for. I have to admit that when I heard about you didn't seem like the type of person my brother would go for…no offense intended but even he said this to me in a conversation after the world meeting." Ridina explained and Hungary looked at Roderich like she was ready to bow up. Joshua held her back as the sister continued.

"You didn't seem like the type…at the time but as my brother got to know you during your time when he had to help you with your assignment he told me something interesting. Do you want to know what it was Josh?" Ridina asked and again Josh just shook his head. "He said 'I need that gentleman in my life. There's something he has that I can't that I want to feel' and when I asked him what it was he said simply 'I want to feel love'." She finished and Joshua's jaw just about bounced off the floor. Remember that silence that first came when they first met? Well it returned but mainly because Joshua was trying to process just what in the hell she was saying!

"Ridina" Joshua began "Let me start by saying that I appreciate you telling me this…however due to the nature of this information and the gravity it holds I might need to take a day or two to let it sink in and just…figure some stuff out. One thing I will tell you upfront is I consider Roderich a friend already. We might not have spent a great deal of time together but I do consider him a friend and the fact that he and Hungary have welcomed me here I am grateful for. I DO NOT want the decision I make based off the information you just gave me to jeopardize that. Is that alright with you?" Joshua asked respectfully and she nodded. Ridina knew the situation Joshua was going to be facing one way or the other and she also knew that in this case her brother would have the patience of a saint. The question became now "What would Joshua's answer be?"

A few days later and it was after school again for Joshua that he got a visitor at his home. Of course it happened to be Ridina and he knew it was about the situation. The interesting thing was she wasn't coming to ask for his answer because she knew that would take time but this was more for his on informational purposes about her brother. As she came into the kitchen Joshua put a cup of tea down in her place at the table and she smiled as she accepted it before speaking.

"Before you say anything I'm not here for any kind of answer because that takes time. What I actually want to know is what do you know about my brother's medical situation?" She asked and Joshua told him what Austria told him when they went out. Ridina knew that there was some stuff missing so she decided to fill in the blank for him.

"Joshua my brother has a medical condition which causes him to get really bad spells and could, if not treated, make him seize up like the engine of a car. Don't get me wrong Josh he's a smart guy and good person but as a result of the accident he started having these problems and he takes medication for it but even so every so often when he gets up and walks around Hungary has called me and told me that he has had a bad dizzy spell and it puts him in bed sometimes for a good portion of the day. It's a shame because my brother will tell you that he doesn't like to be in bed all day…and he doesn't. Yes he's a hermit and he works on the piano a lot but its something he honestly loves. If he didn't have that I shudder to think what he'd do with his life." Ridina explained and Joshua now understood how serious (and dire) it was for him. While he told her he was still going to take his time with his decision he did say that he would go visit Roderich a lot more to make sure he was alright. Maybe that would be step one to getting things better for him and maybe making his body, mind and heart stronger. As Joshua pondered that he carefully worded his reply to his new friend.

"Ridina" Joshua began "I appreciate you telling me all of this about your brother. I only knew about the accident and I didn't know there was more to it than just his eyesight. I understand the severity of his illness and I also know that he wants to be able to walk around and be able to go play his piano even if its just for him. With that being said I'll make sure to come check on him every couple of days or the weekends at least because I do have a job to do." Joshua explained and Ridina understood that completely and even told Joshua that she wasn't asking for him to give up his job as a teacher but more just try and check on him to see if he needed anything or whatnot. While Ridina knew about Hungary her biggest concern was what would happen if she wasn't there. Prussia is a bit of a pest at time and there aren't many countries that honestly visit him because of his…"outcast" status or whatever term you wanna use so they needed some way to keep tabs. Joshua agreed to be that man but also told her that there was also a bunch of other people he wanted to get to know too and she was fine with that. As she finished her tea she got up and hugged her new friend before leaving for the day.

As night came Joshua decided to give Prussia a call and his albino friend was happy to hear his voice. "Hello Joshua. How are things with you today?" He asked and Josh was glad to not have a somber tone on the other end of his phone. "Oh just fine Gil my man. I had a pretty interesting day today as Ridina came over to talk to me some more about her brother and she had some information for me today that was pretty heavy." Josh explained to Gilbert and when he explained what she told him Prussia honestly felt bad. It wasn't one of those things that you can just brush off and be all happy go lucky but Gilbert's statement after processing was one that kind of took Josh by surprise. "No wonder Roddy is happy to have you as a friend Josh. I'm lucky to have met you too but I think Austria is really going to need you soon. I know that you said you need time to sort some stuff out and you should but the fact remains that he needs a support system of people that legitimately care about him and I think you know or at the very least are starting to realize how important it is that you make the right decision here." Gilbert told Joshua and the teacher from America nodded before trying to get the conversation back to a lighter tone.

"Speaking of Hungary…you try talking to her again?" Joshua asked as he knew his friend was actually trying to make right all his past evil deeds against her. Gilbert told her that he hadn't but it was mainly because of the lessons that Josh had and this event that he and Roderich planned was pretty much on the down low. Josh understood that but told him that he really should try again in the future. She's really not that bad a girl…just got a temper like Belarus but Russia was gonna have to tell him about that situation. That got Gilbert laughing and as the two friends hung up Joshua now had a new purpose in life but he also had so many more adventures waiting for him too!

Which one's first?


	11. Intermission

Intermission

Hello friends and readers

This is a little break (and by little I mean it) in our story for "Misadventures in Hetalia". I'd like to thank those of you that have taken the time to sit down and read this story, add it to the Alerts and all that good stuff. In the short time that this story has been available we have had almost 400 views total and almost 200 visitors to it. For that I would like to say "Thank you" and after this I'm going to get right on the next chapter for you to read.

Now I know there might be some people that have been reading this story and may have not been in love with the direction. I can wholeheartedly understand that because I've essentially taken what you liked about the story i.e. the slapstick humor and more or less humanized it just a little bit more than the Anime did. I also put a little of me both literally and figuratively in this story because I wanted to see how people would react and it seems like we're doing fairly well.

The plan for this story was actually to make it about two parts as in you have the storyline with Austria and the "Real World Human" and the adventures that said human have with the countries both in their world and his. Right now I can understand that you might not like this direction BUT I promise you its going to balance out in the end and I hope that you like the ending when we get there because…it all leads to the beginning of our second story which is based off of the crazy popular PC freeware game "HetaOni". That one will be more centered around the countries I promise you but you will still see some involvement with the OCxAustria in it…it just won't be nearly as egregious as it is in this story.

Again I would like to thank those of you whom have read this story. This has been one of my favorites to write so far and it shall continue later today for your reading enjoyment. You have a great morning and I'll be back soon

ShootingStar147


	12. A Gathering with the Nordics

Chapter 9

A gathering with the Nordics

A few days passed since Ridina's meeting with Joshua and the young American was sitting at home after another long day at school. It wasn't that anything BAD happened but sometimes the students could be a little bit tiresome and obnoxious which isn't something he EVER aspired to be! Sometimes Joshua wished that he lived with the Nations because, while they could have their drama, it was always in a humorous manner that made him crack up more than want to go commit some violent crime.

And speaking of said nations…

*RING RING*

Joshua's phone rang and when he saw the number at first he hadn't a clue who it was but after answering he quickly found out. "Hello" Joshua said as he answered the telephone and when the person answered he could tell it was a fairly "older" gentleman. "Hello Joshua. This is Sweden. How are you doing today?" The nation asked and Joshua told him that everything was fine before the man continued. "Myself and the rest of the Nordics are having a gathering in a few days and we wanted to know if you wanted to come. I already know that you have an issue with my wife (yes he acknowledged him as that in here much like the Anime) but I was hoping that you two might be able to work out a truce while here." Sweden explained and the fact that he said about more than 3 words in a sentence meant it must have been important to him. Joshua told him that he'd think about it and if he did come then he would do his best to be nice to his wife. Sweden accepted that answer and told him what time to come if he did decide to go and Josh wrote it down as well as already mentally planned his outfit for such an occasion.

As the time came and went and Joshua got closer to the day for the gathering Josh paced his room like a caged animal. It wasn't that he wasn't going to enjoy his time at the event ,for he knew that he would, but it was figuring out how to get past whatever mental grudge he had with Finland and he didn't want it to blow up because of that.

The day of the event came and as Joshua punched up the program to go visit the "Nordic Five" his first thought was immediately going towards how to greet Finland but he didn't let that show as he stepped through and stood in front of their front door. As Joshua went to knock on the door a tall dude with hair that looked like Goku when he went Super Sayian and an empty beer stein (who did this guy take after…Germany?) greeted the teacher and introduced himself before letting Joshua in.

"Hello Joshua" He began "Denmark's the name and I hear that you are here for the dinner today correct?" Denmark finished and Joshua nodded as the tall Nordic let Joshua pass and go towards the dining area. Remember how sweet the house was that Austria had? Well this was no different and when Joshua again was awestruck by the décor…why didn't he take interior decorating tips from these guys again?

As the two walked into the dining room the first thing Joshua saw was the spread on the buffet table that they were going to be chowing on and Josh became insta-hungry (as opposed to the country that was Austria's first wife but I digress) but held off as he took his seat next to a gentleman that had blonde hair and a striped shirt with a blue tie and Denmark introduced everyone as he took his seat at one end of the table. "The gentleman sitting next to you" He began "is Norway and he is the big brother of the man sitting at the opposite end of the table in Iceland. The animal that Iceland has sitting in front of him is called 'Mr. Puffin' and he's actually a pretty cool animal. Ice makes him wear a bow tie but I digress…" He trailed off as Josh didn't need an intro for the other two.

"And you would be Sweden and Finland correct?" Joshua asked and Sweden nodded while Finland tried to shrink into his chair. Joshua could sense the fear in the Finnish gentleman so he did his best to calm his nerves. "Relax Finland. I made a promise to your husband today that I would try to make peace with you and I intend to keep that promise. You don't have to worry about any drama or issues going down today because I'm not here to start any problems." Joshua explained to the rather sheepish gentleman (best way I could put it) and he nodded without saying anything.

As the dinner/gathering went on the gang sat and chatted about what things are like in his world and how different it is for him to walk around in their world and see the countries that he teaches about as well….people! Iceland asked him if there were any particular places he wanted to visit in world and Joshua nodded before answering. "I've visited Austria and Hungary's place and now I've visited with you gents. I think if there is one place I actually want to visit next it'd be either with Canada or the Baltics. I've heard rumors about the eccentric Poland so I might save him for last and by last I mean we may never meet. If Finland thought I had issues with him they are nothing compared to that dude!" Joshua exclaimed and everyone was shocked when they heard this. Finland was pretty shocked because in a backhanded way, which was completely unintentional, Josh basically admitted that he would visit Finland long before Poland!

(In case you are wondering…yes Josh did apologize for the way the message came across to Finland after the dinner)

Day turned to night and Josh looked at Denmark's end where he had about 6 beers (that's when he gave up counting) and actually pulled Finland aside out of earshot of everyone else and, while he did apologize for the earlier statement, he also had something else to talk to him about. "Look Finland" Joshua began "I'm sorry about before. I know that when we've been around each other you've actually been nothing but nice to me and I've acted like an ass. I wanted to apologize for that and to show there's no hard feelings…" Joshua stopped and pulled a device out of his pant pocket that apparently came with the set he bought and handed it to the young man. "I'm giving you this device. It will allow you to come visit me whenever you want. All I ask is a little heads up so If there's something important going on I can find a way to assist you alright?" Joshua asked Finland and he smiled, nodded and then hugged Joshua for the present. Josh returned the hug and then walked with him to the dining area as sadly all good things had to come to an end.

"Well friends" He began solemnly "I do apologize for leaving so abruptly but I have to go to work tomorrow. I'll be sure to come by again oh and Iceland…" Joshua stopped as he addressed the Norwegian "be nice to your Onii-chan…alrighty?" Joshua asked and he just nodded as Joshua left the group for the day and not long after he got in his pajamas and ready to go to be because little did he know that the next two days were going to be emotionally draining!


	13. Austria's Emergency Part I

Chapter 10

Austria's Emergency Part I

Have you ever had a day when everything just…stopped?

Welcome to one of the scarier incidents you'll hear of in this story

Oh the day started out fairly boring for one Joshua as he woke up and got his breakfast before getting ready to face the day that was to be before him. He always had his cup of coffee with his cereal and the newspaper before heading out the door and getting ready to go to school. He got to school fairly early like normal and as always he chatted with Emily about how things were going at home and just generally had a pretty ordinary conversation with the woman. Things didn't start to get interesting till about lunchtime.

You might ask why and the answer is actually quite simple but the phone was a more telling answer to be honest...

*RING RING*

As always Joshua picked up on the first set of rings and it was, of all people, America! Its not that Joshua had anything against the young man because he didn't but it was rare that he got a call from him especially at school. "What's up dude?" Joshua asked as he answered the phone knowing that the Nation wasn't making one of his normal "chatty" calls like he would after school. "Not much here man. I got an invite to a shindig over at Austria's place and I was wondering if you got yours yet. I know that you two are close and all so it wouldn't surprise me if you got yours days in advance or if he was just planning on asking you directly." America explained and as Joshua thought about it the young master hadn't called him in a few days. Last he heard and saw of the young Aristocrat he knew that he was okay but there was no way to know for sure unless he called him! Josh thought quickly so as not to arouse any suspicions to his friend.

"I just think Roderich's been busy. I know that when he gets busy on composing a song he really puts his heart into it and that can sometimes take a good bit. I'm just going to let him contact me but if he doesn't then I might just pop up there and say 'hey' to everyone that's going to be there. I do know that he has a lot of Nations coming though right?" Joshua asked and America nodded. He knew that the Nordics were coming as well as members of the Axis in Japan, Germany and Italy. He tried to convince Prussia to NOT come but Gilbert was insistent on showing up as well as Romano and Spain. It was gonna be a pretty big deal for the young man.

As Joshua finished his convo with America he contemplated calling Austria to see what was going on but decided against it. Joshua was a patient man and if Rod didn't want to send out his invite he didn't have to. Joshua wasn't going to feel offended if he wasn't invited and all he cared about was that his friend had a good time with the performance.

The minutes and hours flew by and Joshua watched as the students left for the day leaned up against the closed classroom door looking up into the ceiling and asking one question that he had to no one in particular…

"God…are you trying to tell me something when it comes to my new friend? Did you send me on the path to meet Roderich because he was the person that would make me whole after the hardships I felt? Whatever your ultimate goal is for me I'm ready to go look for it." Joshua said as he turned and walked out the classroom door and headed to the front office and signed out. When he got to the front entrance he got a very interesting surprise!

Austria sat leaned up against the stone column at the end of the fence with his arms crossed and looking serious. This was normal Austria but Joshua noticed an envelope in his right hand and would have snatched it had he not remembered his manners and said "Hello" to his friend. "Afternoon Roderich" Joshua started "I wasn't expecting you here…how did you get here?" Joshua asked confused but at the same time pleased that his friend was there waiting for him. He was even more pleased at his friend's response.

"Good afternoon Joshua" The Aristocrat began "I was wondering if you'd like to come to a special program that I'm going to be having this evening. I know its last minute but…" Austria was going to finish his statement when he got a hug from his American friend and, while that reaction surprised him greatly Austria quickly regained his composure before speaking again. "I take it that's a 'yes'?" He asked and when Joshua nodded he shared a small smile before informing Joshua that the event was going to be at about 9 but to come early for a special meal with Hungary, Ridina and Prussia. Joshua nodded and hurried home as Austria made his way back home and gave Hungary the great news. He left out the surprising reaction but his friend already sort of knew about it.

"Joshua is a young man whom, like you, knows what he likes and wants. I think for him the first time he just saw you he grew fond of and attached to you and he's starting to slowly let those emotions out. Your job Austria is to help him understand them the best that you can and we both know that can be hard but trying never hurts…does it?" She asked but when she paused it made Austria really think about it and when he had his answer he didn't vocalize it but he would make sure that she knew it somehow.

6:00 PM

Joshua had been climbing the walls since he was given the invite to go to Austria's place. First off it wasn't an everyday thing that he got to hear the man play and it was an even bigger shock when he would be invited over for a meal beforehand! As Joshua arrived at the residence he was getting ready to knock when he saw the door was already opened. Apparently…he was expected!

As Joshua made his way to the kitchen he took note of the people that were there already. Hungary was seated next to Austria and Prussia was sitting in the seat next to where Joshua was to sit and Ridina was on the other end of the table. There was a pretty healthy spread on the table and as everyone was enjoying it Joshua decided to start a conversation with Prussia.

"How's your brother doing Gilbert?" Joshua asked and the Platinum Blonde haired man smiled before answering. "He's doing quite well Joshua. He actually has been visiting the Italy brothers but would be here for the 'Main Event' later. He told his friend and Joshua nodded at his answer. "A little birdie told me that your bro has decided to cut back on drinking. Tell me the world isn't about to spin off its axis man!" Joshua exclaimed and Gil sighed as it was in fact true and when he confirmed this Joshua actually felt bad for Germany. Something had to have happened to cause that reaction. As Joshua got that from Gilbert he decided to talk to the host of the event for the evening next.

"How's things been here guys? I know its been a while since I was here last but I was just curious to see what all has been going on here." Joshua explained and Austria told Joshua that he was working on a new composition and he just about had it finished which made Joshua quite happy. He knew that Roderich was always focused on tasks like this because he hated to leave them incomplete. The problem was that he was having a hell of a time actually getting the project done because, like any creative outlet that there is, he hit a major roadblock and therefore it made it suck a lot more when he couldn't get it completed. It was for this reason that Rod excused himself from the table and went back to the music room to try and get it done before the event was to take place and Joshua understood completely. Hungary was a little taken aback (no one really knows why) and Ridina just kind of went with the flow of things.

It was about 30 minutes later when Joshua was walking down towards the music room and all the while listening to sweet melody that Austria was composing. It was no wonder that he had become fast friends with him and it made it was going to make it all the sweeter when he finally came to terms with his feelings if that day did come.

And then…it happened!

While Joshua was walking down to the music room listening to the composition the music rather abruptly stopped. Josh could tell the difference between just a simple break and if something was horribly wrong and, judging by the pace with which he ran into the room, it was the latter! When Joshua got into the room he saw Roderich on the floor and shaking like a leaf. Josh knew it damn sure wasn't nerves and screamed for Hungary to come over there. When she got there Joshua was sitting next to the fallen young master doing whatever he could to make sure that he did swallow his tongue or anything else. Hungary went and got a pillow from the bedroom and she had Prussia stay with Joshua and Austria until she got back. Prussia didn't argue and when Joshua got the shaking to stop he was able to remove his glasses and surprisingly they didn't break when he fell. How he didn't break those or hit his head was the biggest shock to him because had he then everything I just told you before would have been irrelevant!

When Hungary came back with the pillow and the comforter from his bed Joshua carefully moved his friend off his lap and onto the pillow where he laid for a good little while until the realization finally came that he couldn't sleep there for the night. When they DID finally get him back to his room Gil and Hungary took care in getting him changed into his pajamas while Joshua left the room to call his work and tell him that he wasn't going to be in for a few days again. The reason he gave was a good friend got sick and he needed to help take care of him which they accepted. After he got off the phone he went and asked Hungary if it was alright if he stayed for a few days to which she had no objection. Joshua told her then that he was going home to get some things and he'd be right back. During this time Prussia went and got the guest room ready for Joshua and couldn't help but smile. Prussia felt something the others couldn't and what it was would be a splendid day once it truly manifested itself. The problem is that it had to and hopefully over these next few days Joshua would figure it out!

NEXT TIME

Uh Oh! Austria's sick and Prussia is thinking "those thoughts". What WILL Joshua do during his stay as it pertains to his friend? Will IT finally happen

Next Chapter: Austria's Emergency Part II


	14. Austria's Emergency Part II

Chapter 11

Austria's Emergency Part II

Joshua's Home

It took Joshua a lot longer to actually get the stuff ready that he wanted to take with him to Austria's house. He didn't want to make it seem like he was going to become a freeloader but he wanted to make sure that he had all his essentials for his stay. You know clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant and all his basic necessities along with some books to read as well as his iPod and laptop just in case he needs it. He knew what he'd be spending most of his time doing and that was caring for an individual that if you had told him about a month ago that he'd be contemplating living with…he'd ask you to go see "the man"!

Austria's place

It had been an hour and a half since Josh left to go pack and honestly Prussia was worried that Josh wasn't coming back. It was a bit of a shock about what happened and the fact was that not Hungary or his awesome self knew about the illness. To say that it was horrifying when they saw Roderich in the state that he was in would be the grossest of understatements but true all the same. All he could do was wait for Joshua to come back from getting his things because it was the only way that he was going to be allowed near Austria's bedroom where Hungary was keeping watch.

In the aforementioned bedroom Hungary was watching Roderich while he slept. The good news was that the doctor said he was going to be fine but when he finally truly snaps out of it he might not remember much about the incident. Joshua would pretty much know what questions to ask him when he woke up but they (Hungary and Prussia) would have to wait for his return until then. As Hungary sat in there checking to see if he was going to be running a fever or anything else she could faintly hear a noise coming from the main hallway of the mansion.

Joshua had returned with bags in hand. Initially he thought it was only going to be about a two day stay but the faculty at the school convinced him to take a few extra days so he did just that. It should be noted that they didn't ask him WHERE he was going or WHY he need the time off but they gladly let him go and do what he needed to do.

As he entered the living room with Gilbert, Hungary walked in and told Joshua that Roderich was sleeping comfortably according to the doctors. She also told him that when he wakes up he would need to be asked some questions and Joshua would need to ask them. Josh accepted the task and as if like clockwork Roderich woke up from his slumber and Joshua went alone into the room per the request of his two friends.

As Joshua entered the bedroom it was pretty dark. The only light that was on was a candle that Hungary had lit so that it wouldn't be too bright for her friend when he in fact did wake up. Joshua understood this because when he wakes up from anything sometimes the eye can be really sensitive to light so he took his seat at the chair Hungary was sitting in and softly spoke to his friend.

"Hello Austria" Joshua said as he began the conversation with his friend. "Hello Joshua…what time is it?" Austria asked and Josh looked at his watch and told him it was quarter to 1 in the morning. When Austria heard this he almost shot up out of bed but didn't when he started feeling dizzy again. "Its alright Roderich" Joshua began "after the incident the guests that had been invited were notified of what happened and they understood that the event for the night was cancelled. I was told that they would be given a future date when it could be rescheduled but for now you need your rest. Do you mind if I ask you some questions? They're just basic questions but they are questions that will allow me to know how badly it affected you when the incident occurred." Joshua explained and Roderich nodded. He wasn't in any condition to argue with the request and it was a very reasonable one given all that went down.

"What's today's date?" Joshua asked and Roderich answered that question rather easily but again he knew it was first question of a few that Joshua was going to ask. "Where are we right now?" Joshua asked and again Roderich was able to answer this. He had to think a little bit because with the room fairly dark he realistically could have been anywhere but he knew he was home. The next two questions Joshua asked were designed by him not to be mean or play a trick but to see how his friend would answer the questions. "What do you remember about the incident?" Joshua asked and Rod mentioned a good bunch of details that were involved in it. He mentioned his sister and Prussia being at the dining room table and some chatter during the convo about some odds and ends and then he got up to go practice a number for the gathering. That was when he had his seizure and fell to the floor. The last thing he told Joshua was he remembered looking up and seeing his face before entering his deep but peaceful slumber.

"You've done well so far Roderich but now I am going to ask you this question: Who am I?" Joshua asked and Roderich sort of knew there was something to this question but he was able to at least give the basic answer. "You are Joshua Curtis, a dear friend of mine and from what I can gather by the noise outside you'll be staying as a guest for a few days no?" Austria asked and Joshua smiled when he heard "good friend" in Austria's description. Even if Joshua didn't outwardly show it or state it to anyone else he would hope that someday he could say that Roderich was his.

"You passed my friend" Joshua started "I don't mind telling you that you surprised me a little when you said 'dear friend' but I appreciate that. I don't mind tell you also that you are probably one of the closest friends I have as of late. I think I honestly spend more time here than home and that's a pretty interesting fact when you look at it." Joshua declared and Austria weakly smiled. He had hoped that Joshua would have had a different reaction to the "dear friend" comment but for now the fact that they are good friends was enough for him. Josh would tell you that he wasn't playing hard to get…and he wasn't but what he was doing was still very slowly coming to grips with his feelings and soon he was going to be able to express them in a way that even he hadn't planned.

As Joshua got up to leave the bedroom he could feel Austria's hand on his arm and when he saw the look on his friend's face he knew he didn't want to leave his side but at the same time he still had some thinking to do and part of that was how to finally approach the situation with as delicate as it was. Joshua knew it was going to be an important one but little did he know how it was going to affect his Aristocratic friend.

NEXT TIME

With Curtis now as a "live in" for couple of days just how is he to approach the situation that is coming up between Roderich and himself? What role if any will Hungary and Prussia play and is there a possibility that one other "Bad Touch" member could get involved?

Next Chapter: The Countdown part I


	15. The Countdown Part I

NOTE: I would like to apologize for this story not being updated sooner. I was having some creative issues with this section and also we had a bad Hurricane come into NJ so that was on my mind but now I'm back and ready to go for this next section.

Just for the record "The Countdown" isn't the end of this story…quite the opposite really as with this section we finally will establish the one thing I've been teasing this whole story so far but to give you a heads up you might be seeing more stuff done specifically in the world of Hetalia after this section is all over and done with. With that said…shall we continue?

Chapter 12

The Countdown Part I

The next day after Joshua and Roderich's heartfelt talk some would tell you that some things started happening in Joshua's life that were for the better. Whether they were right or not is completely up to your interpretation but let's start talking about them anyways shall we?

The first thing that happened was that, while Joshua was out with Hungary getting some food for dinner, Joshua ran into Lovino and Antonio. The latter was even more amusing considering that Hungary was telling him the night prior about the marriage the two used to have. Josh didn't know whether to laugh or cry when he ran into the gentleman but he was actually quite happy to see Lovino and the feeling was mutual. It seemed that his brother Feliciano was off on another trip to see Ludwig and every time he mentions the "Potato Eater" around his brother it actually can be both quite entertaining and quite disturbing at the same time.

As the trio chatted the subject of Roderich's illness came up and Joshua told his friends that he had no idea what actually caused it. From what he was told by Hungary Rod was taking his medication so that couldn't have been it…what could have caused it? Joshua decided not to dwell on the matter and change the course of the discussion with those two.

"So how's it been going for you two? Are you still working for Antonio Lovino?" Joshua asked and he nodded. The last thing that he ever wanted to do was work for the Spaniard but tough times called for tough measures…according to him anyways!

"I'm not the world's biggest fan of working for this man" Lovino began "but the reality is the economy in my area has been pretty much in the tubes for a while and I needed a way to make some money. It just sucks that this ass is my way of doing it!" He exclaimed and Antonio looked genuinely hurt by being called an ass. Spain remembered what it was like to raise Romano when he was a little boy and the fact that Lovino was a bit of a handful left no wonder as to why Roderich passed him off to him.

The two went further into the village and hung out at a local café which had some really good coffee. Joshua never told Hungary but when he would go out for his coffee he always went to this place and had usually two cups. Why two? He claims because it was to keep up when he pulled all-nighters back home but anymore it was because he was working on music projects in the music room when he got a moment to himself

OR

If Gilbert showed up but we don't mention that around Hungary.

As night fell and the trio parted Joshua grabbed some groceries from a shop he frequented as he saw it was about dinner time. He always liked to help anyway that he could when it came to the shopping when he was in the area and that is what he did. Roderich always told him that he didn't need to do that but Joshua would always tell him it wasn't any trouble at all and in fact he rather enjoyed doing the shopping for them. Roderich usually wouldn't argue that point and just go back to his playing when he wasn't bedridden.

Joshua came home and placed the groceries on the table and assisted Hungary with dinner. Roderich was getting soup until he felt better and he, Hungary and Ridina got almost the same except there was some bread with it. Joshua made a rule that they weren't going to eat too much better than the fallen Aristocrat so that they didn't feel bad or like they were rubbing it in his face. Ridina was totally cool with this as was Hungary and dinner came and went without a hitch.

That night as Joshua was walking towards his bedroom he happened to see the light on in the bathroom and this wouldn't have bothered him normally…except Austria was in the standup shower and Josh knew he wasn't 100%! Joshua would have barged in or spied on his friend but he knew that it wasn't right to do so and was about to go turn in when he heard what he felt was the inevitable…

*BANG!*

If I need to tell you that Austria fell then alright…Austria fell and busted his ass good! The good news was it wasn't serious but it showed sadly that he wasn't strong enough to do all his normal things that he was used to. Joshua walked in, closed the door and helped Austria sit on the stool in the shower while he took his top off and helped finish the shower/bathing. It was around this time that, While Joshua was tending to his friend, Roderich started to think about some of the things that made Joshua special to him and this was one of them. The simple fact and the simple act that he would come in after already being showered and tend to him despite Hungary living with him and the maids that resided there this felt more special and intimate to him somehow. It was something that made him hope even more now that Joshua would understand what he really meant to him.

As Joshua finished the task and turned off the shower he grabbed the towel and helped Roderich stand up and did what he need to do to get him dry and then watched to see if he could put his pajamas on without incident and he did. What was more interesting was that, for the first time that he could remember, Austria didn't style his hair into his "Mariazell" in the front. He claimed that he would do it in the morning (A/N: He did) but he just wanted to get dressed and ready for bed properly. It should be noted that, according to Hungary, he almost always goes straight to bed after a spill even if its just for a nap.

Joshua walked with his friend to the bedroom and again tucked him in and as soon as Rod's head hit the pillow he was out like a light. As Joshua watched his friend sleep for a little bit he stole a glimpse out the window where Gilbert popped his head up and when Joshua put his finger to his lips and nodded Gil knew that Roderich was alright.

This was the end of night one of four for Joshua. Would he finally start to piece the puzzle together before he left again? A lot of people were hoping and the American gentleman already knew how important this was for both of them. Rushing this decision would only make a possible eternally happy moment into one that could make things problematic and that was the LAST thing Joshua wanted to do!

See YOU in "The Countdown Part 2"!


	16. The Countdown Part II

Chapter 13

The Countdown Part II

The second day started off relatively uneventful as Joshua awoke to sunshine, birds chirping and a gentle breeze. It was things like this that made Joshua happy he got a few days off from work so that he can enjoy these simple pleasures…too bad you still gotta roll out of the rack right?

Oh don't misunderstand me. The day started off just fine as Joshua went to the bathroom and got showered and shaved (he started growing a "Wolfman Jack" as he called it) and then dressed so that if he went out for the day he would look presentable to the people. It was something that he was always taught since he was little and something that carried on over when he we got older and something that he knew the young master always did too.

Josh headed down to the kitchen and said his good mornings to the maids as well as Hungary and Ridina. He was going to go visit Rod after breakfast because he (Roderich) was told specifically by Hungary early in the morning NOT to get out of bed save to shower and even then he was going to require supervision. Joshua inwardly thought that was a little harsh but then again after the spill the night prior also understandable. It was arguably the single scariest event he had seen save on fight that broke out when he was just a substitute in his school.

As Joshua grabbed his raisin bran and stuff for breakfast Ridina observed something in the gentleman that she didn't see before. It wasn't that he was homesick (he wasn't) or anything of that nature but there was something that she noticed different about him. She would have asked him but also knew that she didn't want to pry, so she didn't ask. She respected the man way too much for that.

Breakfast came and went and Hungary watched as Joshua helped with the cleanup before heading up to see Austria. This was the first time that he actually visited his friend during the day while he was in bed because usually it was at night after most of the maids went off duty. When he got to his friend's bedroom door he politely knocked before entering

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Come in!" Roderich commanded and Joshua did just that before taking his usual seat next to his friend. When Austria saw Joshua he couldn't help but outwardly show his happiness and was even happier when he spoke for the first time. "Good morning Joshua and how's my favorite American citizen?" He asked and Joshua just told him that he was doing quite well for himself today. It looked to be a beautiful day out and the weather looked like it was going to be PERFECT for going out and socializing and that made Roderich slightly frown. Joshua asked him how he slept and he told him that he slept like a log but that for the first time it wasn't a "comfortable sleep". When Joshua asked what that meant he told him that he had some things that he was thinking about and that he tossed and turned for probably the first time ever. It wasn't anything to do with his illness either BUT he wouldn't tell his friend what the reason was because HE didn't know.

The two conversed for a good 30 minutes more about light stuff. Joshua's plans for the day, whom he was going to visit if anyone and if he had any special music projects in mind. Joshua told him about this one song he had an idea to compose but he needed a keyboard for it. Interestingly enough Rod told him about one that he had recently sent over but never used it himself (He's a pianist more than anything) and told him where it was. He also told him that there was a never used but brand new drum kit in the closet too and Joshua took all this info in as they would both be useful down the line. Question became then who did he know that played drums?

As Joshua left the bedroom one of the nurses came in and helped Roderich with his meds and some other personal stuff. When Joshua got to the main entrance he grabbed his lightest jacket and headed out to face the day. Who oh who could Joshua run into today?

Ask and you shall find out?

As Joshua walked down the street and past a bookstore he saw "The Axis" hanging out and of course Feliciano arguing with Ludwig. Interestingly enough he never actually formally introduced himself to the third member that was present so he did what any good person would…he did just that! "Good Morning gentlemen!" Joshua called out as he walked up to the trio and Feliciano was the first respond to the greeting. "Morning Joshua" He began "I trust that all is well with you staying at Austria's?" He asked genuinely interested in his friend's adventure living with Austria and Hungary. Joshua told him that everything was going fine so far and that he hadn't hit any major stumbling blocks with either of them…if anything it was a pretty stress-free deal he had going on there!

As the conversation went on Joshua remembered why he was there in the first place and looked towards the gentleman that was standing with the other two and properly introduced himself. "Hello…Japan is it? My name's Joshua and I'm actually terribly sorry we haven't met before. How are things with you?" Joshua asked and Japan actually smiled a bit before speaking. "Konnichiwa Curtis-san" He began "I am Japan and its actually a pleasure to meet you. I was going to come with Germany and it's a pleasure to meet you. I was going to come with Germany and Italy when they visited you before but I had some business to take care of and for that I humbly apologize." He told the young man but Joshua just told him that it was fine and that he would actually come visit him in the future once he got some other stuff taken care of. Japan understood and told him that when he came to visit he might have a friend with him and Joshua told him he actually would enjoy that.

As the conversation went on Joshua asked Ludwig if Gilbert knew how to play any instruments. The German told him that he played the violin as well as guitar and drums. When Joshua heard the "drums" part he asked him if he could stop by while he was staying at Austria's place. Ludwig told him that wouldn't be an issue (Gilbert showed anyways when he felt like it) but also asked him what he needed him for. Joshua told him he had a special music project he was working on and he felt that Gil would be helpful with it. He also told him that he'd worry about Hungary so Gil should just come on over but he wanted to make sure that he had his part down first. It might take a day but he'd get a call when he was ready. Ludwig nodded and then Joshua looked at his watch and realized it was damn near lunchtime. Japan knew of a good restaurant and the rest of the group asked him to lead the way as they decided to go chow down on some good food.

Lunchtime became dusk and the quartet parted ways as Joshua walked back to Austria's place humming his melody that he already planned out. The tricky part was going to be working the drums into it because of how soft the melody actually was and Gilbert, according to his brother, was more of a "speed drummer" (Think YUKI from Versailles doing the "Dessert Apple" drum solo) so slowing him down with the tempo he needed might be a bit difficult. As Joshua re-entered the house one of the maids was waiting by the entrance to take his coat which he politely gave her as he made his way towards the music room. Hungary saw the Joshua entered there but knew that he was working on a project so she didn't question it. She just had one of the maids bring his dinner there (which he thanked her for later) as he got to work on it.

As Joshua got out the keyboard set he sat down at it and was amazed by how big it actually was but at the same time grateful. For this project he was going to have to figure out what keys to play and all that good stuff but, if you can believe it, it only took about 2 hours to finally get it right and by that time the moon was lighting the room which was something that Joshua actually enjoyed. He did eventually turn on the light in the room to make sure he could see the keys but the temporary scene was actually one that he openly stated could have been in a painting it was that perfect to him.

When Joshua finished his part he walked around the room which actually is pretty big…not as big as the living room but big enough that whenever he stepped on the tile in the empty room it made an echo. Joshua couldn't help but think about the next day and smile as he knew that he and Gilbert were about to make some sweet music together and even better…he was one step closer to finally telling his friend what HE wanted to say and he hoped that everyone would be happy with it.

Here's a question for ya to ponder: Does Gilbert have a hand in it?

See you soon


	17. The Countdown Part III

Chapter 14

The Countdown Part III

Morning comes…and goes! Isn't that how it usually goes or does anyone really know?

Sorry…got caught up in a bit of a rhyme…shall we get started for real this time?

It was an almost carbon copy of the day before as Joshua awoke to a scene that was almost an exact copy. When he got up he went and did his thing in the shower and got dressed for the day's events. He knew that he was having a visitor today and Hungary wasn't COMPLETELY thrilled about it but knew it was for his project that he had to do. Before that was going to go down though Joshua did decide to make a stop into town because, as we know by now, Joshua always seems to run into an old friend or someone that he never met before and today would be both!

Josh couldn't tell you why these two people were together but today as he was heading to a food stand that was in the village he spotted Finland and someone whom looked like a little boy with a rather interesting looking hat on his head. As Joshua made eye contact he waved over the duo and Finland walked with the boy and began speaking as they stood in front of him.

"Well hello Joshua" Finland began "I wasn't expecting to see you out here today. I was just coming out here with a new friend of mine and this young man's name is Sealand." Finland explained and Joshua leaned down to say "Hello" to the young man whom politely returned the greeting before speaking himself. "I apologize for not coming to see you sooner Joshua" Sealand began "I wanted to come to the World Meeting when you were there originally but someone 'misplaced' my invitation to the conference. I assure you that I wanted to make it but when stuff like that happens its out of my control." He explained and Joshua told him not to sweat it as stuff happens. He also told him that he had a feeling that England was the one whom did it just because he knew how that man operated. He's been around him when those two have their issues and once he saw China facepalm hard during their confrontation.

"So what brings you out here today Joshua?" Finland asked nad Joshua told him he usually does this before he gets settled and starts working on one of his projects. He also told them that he was weighing on a decision which could seriously impact his life but it was in a good way and nothing more. Sealand wanted to ask what the big decision was but Finland gave him "the look" and he didn't. He understood that a situation like this would be one that required a clear head and so a walk out early in the morning before lunch couldn't hurt.

Speaking of lunch when it came the trio went to go to a little place that Joshua discovered on one of his trips before this extended stay and Sealand really enjoyed himself. Finland did too but Joshua could sort of tell that he missed Sweden and Joshua understood that. Even though he goes out in the morning to get a clear head he couldn't help but think of the night when Austria had the accident in the music room and then the slip in the shower. The term "Horrifying" comes to mind whenever he thought about that. Finland didn't even have to ask what was on Joshua's mind because when he saw the expressions on his face on occasion he knew he had to be thinking about Mr. Edelstein. While he never would dare pry into his personal life Fin knew that Joshua cared about the Aristocrat but it was just finding the way to show it that was going to be hard.

Lunch came and went and as the trio parted Joshua walked out with his hands in his pockets as a bit of a chill started to roll in. Nothing too bad but had to be noted as he walked around town and when he got back to the house Gilbert was patiently waiting for his friend. "Hello Joshua" The red-eyed gentleman greeted "how was things out in the village today?" Gilbert asked genuinely interested as he knew that Joshua would go visit different places in the village. Joshua told him that everything was fine and that today he met up with Finland and a new friend in Sealand. Gilbert smiled a bit when he heard this because it meant that Joshua was really starting to get to know some of the other countries in this world and that was something he was happy about.

The duo walked into the house and first things first they warmed up a bit before heading into the music room where Joshua still had the keyboards and drum kit set up from the night prior. Gilbert smiled when he saw the "new" drum kit and turned to Joshua when he saw the keyboards. "You broke those in?" He asked and Joshua nodded and that made Prussia happy. He walked over to and took his seat behind the drum kit as Joshua closed the door to the room and the platinum blonde man asked to hear the composition that Joshua had made for the keyboard part so he could figure out the tempo. Joshua obliged and when he finished Gilbert was STILL nodding his head and the song was over for a good 30 seconds past as he turned to his friend with a grin on his face.

"I think I got it but stop me if I go too hard or fast." Gilbert told his friend and when he started to play what he felt the pace and tempo would be Joshua didn't say anything and let him go to completion. When he finished Joshua smiled as he pretty much had it down but the big question would be could they get it to work in unison?

Joshua started with the open to the song and Gilbert followed suit with the drums. Now Ludwig would tell you that this isn't the kind of pace his brother is known for but "East", as Joshua occasionally referred to him, managed to him the light tempo on the drums and once or twice he watched as it almost appeared as Joshua was in a trance when he got to certain parts of the song. This was when he knew that they were in harmony because if they weren't then Josh would be looking straight at Gilbert with his eyes open. It was something that he had never seen before outside of when Roderich was into a really intense composition. This was different for some reason and he knew that they were nailing it and good!

As they finished the song Joshua had the biggest grin on his face as did Gilbert. It was his first time truly composing a song and this one was special to both men. When Gilbert asked what the name of the song was Joshua had to think about it only for a few minutes and then whispered it into his ear before writing the name on the top of the music sheet. With the project done (and an hour to kill before Prussia would have to leave) the duo decided to discuss something else that was pretty important and they wanted to plan it out for tomorrow.

"So" Gilbert began "you finally plan on telling Roderich how you feel?" He asked as he knew Joshua was sort of wrestling with it for a few days even though he already sort of knew the answer. "Correct. I plan on telling him tomorrow and I think its about time. Hungary I think is starting to get a little irritated because she believes that I was screwing with his emotions but Ridina has been a sweetheart about it. Her brother is very important to her and she wants him to be with someone that cares about him. I think she already knows my decision but she doesn't know how I plan on expressing it…yet!" Joshua exclaimed low enough that the noise didn't bounce off the walls.

"I understand where you're coming from Josh. You want to tell him but I think for you part of it was trying to gauge him over the past few days right?" Gilbert asked and Joshua nodded. This led to discussion about how they were going to go about the actual setup.

Gilbert knew that Austria's Music hour was right after dinner in the winter. Why he picked that time was a mystery but anyways. They would have their performance in the room without him an hour or two before dinner and then afterwards Joshua would go with Gilbert to his place to go get ready. The trick was to make it so that Hungary didn't catch on but Ridina willingly agreed to be a party to this. She wanted to see the look on her brother's face when Joshua was standing in front of him but dressed differently than he would ever be used to! As the two friends parted company for the day they knew that tomorrow was a very special day and with some of Joshua's new friends. Little did anyone know just HOW special it was going to actually be!

Ladies and Gentlemen…"The Countdown" finale is NEXT!


	18. Countdown -Finale

Chapter 15

Countdown – Finale

Did you ever have a morning where you KNEW something special was going down on that day?

Listen carefully

It was "the day" as Joshua called it. Today was the day for him and Gilbert to show what two friends could do together musically in front of a crowd of people just like he did with Roderich at the school that he taught at. Today was also the day for another special event BUT…we're getting ahead of ourselves…

As Joshua awoke from his slumber and looked out the window on this particular day you wouldn't think there was anything particularly special. The sun was shining and a brisk breeze came through his bedroom window as he woke up. The scene of people walking out of their homes and milling about the country was one that he absolutely LOVED waking up to and watching carefully as the citizens did what they needed to do for the day. It was truly a sight that not many people could honestly take a look at and NOT enjoy. To put it in Gilbert's terms the scene was in fact AWESOME!

As Joshua got up out of bed and made his way to the shower to get ready for his big event Ridina made her way to her brother's bedroom to help him get ready for his day out. You see she arranged for her brother to go out with Hungary at one of their favorite places and believe it or not Roderich was totally cool with the idea. After having been in bed for the days that he was it was nice to be able to get out of the house and not have any issues medically. He still had his friend with him just in case but he didn't see any particular issues today.

As Joshua hopped out of the shower and got dressed for his big day Roderich and Hungary made their way out of the house and told Ridina they wouldn't be back till about 7 o'clock. This was perfect because the time they (Joshua, Gilbert and Ridina) were figuring he'd be in the music room was actually between 7:30 and 8. When Prussia and Joshua heard this from their "agent" they arranged everything accordingly so that if they wanted to sneak in one extra song in some way they could. The performance was actually slated for about 5 o'clock which gave them enough time to do at least one song, get Joshua out to go to the Beilschmidt's and then get back when Austria went for his music hour and hopefully not sooner.

So how did the plan go: fabulously!

If you could have forecasted for the sun, moon and stars to align this perfect Joshua would have told you that you were crazy. Not only did they get the big song in (which they titled "Brother") but they got like 2 or 3 more songs in before everyone, according to plan, left out the front while Joshua and Gilbert left out the back door. There's a reason for this and it was basically explained by Ridina that they should do it this way like this…

Austria always uses the front door when he leaves and comes in. If Joshua and Gilbert left out that same door there was a pretty good chance that Hungary, if not Austria, would spot them and make it impossible to work the plan. Little did Joshua know that both Spain and France (yes the "Bad Touch Trio" was in full effect) decided to help with the restaurant part but made their time at the place pleasant. Okay France hit on Hungary once but he did that so much that Roderich was used to it by now!

_At the Beilschmidt's_

Joshua was in Prussia's room and was trying on the spare suit that Gilbert had. He claimed that it didn't fit him but that it would fit Joshua to a tee…and it did. There were only two things left that Joshua needed and one was to get his hair temporarily bleached like his (that took less time than you think) and the special contacts. Joshua hung around Gilbert enough that the accent was not a problem for him to emulate and therefore when he did it Germany was even fooled by the setup!

7:30 came and Roderich got home on schedule. Joshua and Gilbert were making their way to the window that, for reasons only know to Prussia, he climbs through almost every day when Austria is really getting into the piano. Without a sound Joshua climbed up and through the window and began to play the part of the elder German brother to a tee!

"Hey specs!" Joshua greeted in his accent "Working hard on the piano like normal I see. Where's your friend Hungary? Working hard in the kitchen as always?" He asked KNOWING that's where she was and, just like the trio thought, Austria was going to start getting a little annoyed right about…now!

"If you must know you idiot she's working on a cooking assignment with Ridina. I actually wanted to see what they were working on but my sister told me to come in here. That was fine with me but something felt…off!" Roderich reasoned and that got the Prussian imposter's attention. It didn't alarm him like he thought it would but it did make him think more about their plan. Good news was he had quite a resolve when it came to said plan!

"Your sister is a very sweet lady. It's a shame she has to be around that sexually confused…thing but I guess you have to learn from someone right?" The impostor asked and now Austria was getting beet red. The catch was that he didn't bother to look behind him when Joshua continued and this was still within the framework of how he saw him acting.

"You know Specs" Joshua continued still going through with the act "I hear you have a friend that you made recently. I also hear that you have developed very deep and personal emotions for this gentleman and would do anything for him…correct?" He asked and now Austria nearly slammed his fist on the piano but showed his usual restraint. How could this person actually KNOW about that? What the hell was going on?!

"Its true that I made a new friend recently. I've told this person that I considered him a dear friend and I hoped that he understood what I wanted out of that statement. The last time I saw him when I said that he had a blank, emotionless stare. I think he got it but maybe he didn't. Maybe I'm just an idiot and fell hard for the wrong man!" Austria exclaimed with tears running down his face all the while, with his back turned to the Aristocrat, Joshua took out the contacts but wanted to have a little more fun with the accent before he officially revealed his surprise.

"I don't think your friend would think you were an idiot at all Specs." Joshua said still "in character" as he started walking over to his friend but still playing his role "I've actually spoken with Joshua and he told me something that he would like to share with you. Would you like to know what that is?" He asked and Austria just weakly before his friend walked over to him and started one more time in the accent but he knew this time he wasn't going to finish

"He said" He started for the final time in the accent before switching over "We can create a beautiful world together Roderich. It took me these 4 days and some weeks before now to really come to terms with but we could…if you'll let me" Joshua said and Austria just stopped stone cold as he heard the voice he was used to. One of caring, compassion and a hint of tenderness that was never there before. It was as if there was more meaning in it and that could only mean one thing.

Roderich tried to get up from his bench to be able to turn around and face the person that was speaking but his legs were but Jell-O at this point! Joshua helped his friend so that he could face him and see that warm smile that he came to know over these couple of months, weeks and days. The last bit of Joshua's statement was still ringing in his ears and he looked down at the floor trying to find the words to express what he wanted to say to the gentleman that was standing in front of him. Joshua knew that this was an important decision and he didn't want to rush him but he also needed to know the truth. After what felt like an eternity Austria gave his answer…

"This was a masterful plan that you constructed Joshua. I didn't see it coming and I know for a fact that Hungary didn't either. I know the way you feel about a lot of things in life and I was sure that I knew how you felt about me, a man, telling you that I cared about you more than just a mere friend. At first I thought you were un-phased by the statement but I knew you were thinking about it. You have a very cerebral mind just like me and that's one of the many things I like…no I LOVE about you Mr. Curtis. My answer to you tonight…is yes!" Roderich exclaimed and Joshua now had the same "Jell-O" feeling when Ridina and Prussia came in and help Joshua up and sat him next to the man that he knew at one time as just Austria but now he was Roderich Edelstein and more importantly…he was his!

A/N: This marks the end of "The Countdown" but not the end of the adventures! This was only really the beginning of them and soon we will be counting down to beginning of "The Mansion" which is a completely different story in and of itself. Where these adventures go from here…I don't know yet but I promise you there's some serious craziness to come including one bizarre chapter that involves this relationship.

Stay tuned…I'm just getting warmed up!


	19. America's New Pursuit

A/N: I'm BAAAAACCCCKKKKK!

Chapter 16

"DUDE IT REALLY HAPPENED?!"

That, as I'm sure you can guess, was the over-enthusiastic glee from America when Austria told him the news about the event days prior. Austria, as one would expect, was a bit more controlled. "Yes America Joshua finally asked me and I of course accepted. I knew he would figure it out eventually but I also knew that it was a very awkward situation too. He never had been asked by anyone honestly to go steady with him or anything of that nature so for someone like me to do it I knew was a difficult thing but I'm happy with the outcome as I know he is also." Roderich explained and America was in shock at the amount of detail that Rod put into it. To say that Austria isn't usually that talkative with America is a gross understatement BUT at least he's trying right?

As the two made their way into Austria's home the house was sadly void of human life. Hungary went to go visit some friends and Joshua had to go back to work so, outside of the maids, it was just those two in the house but America was very respectful of his things and his privacy. America DID have one question for him though…

"So are you two going to actually get married or just remain life partners?"

Now this question WOULD have upset Austria but he felt it was a reasonable question and decided to give his friend an answer.

"Despite the fact that it has been passed into Austrian Law almost 3 years ago for Registered Partnership we decided to remain 'as we are' and we are happy with that. Joshua said it best yesterday to a friend of his that he 'shouldn't need a piece of paper to be able to tell me he loves me' and I agree. My dad's plenty p***ed but I don't care about that. Joshua helped me in my darkest moment and for that I'll be by his side for as long as he wants me to be." Roderich told his friend and the weight of his words hit the American hard and made him realize just what kind of special person this man was. Maybe he should think hard about where he stands in life.

Anyways…

The two talked for a few more minutes about some random stuff and one thing that America asked was if Roderich wanted to come to a special festival with Japan, China and Hong Kong. Austria told him he'd think about it and America just nodded before leaving the room and getting ready to leave the house when Hungary walked in. Apparently she had just got back from her friend's house and when she saw the American she couldn't help but smile.

(if you're thinking what I THINK you're thinking…patience)

Hungary asked the young man if he was going to be staying for dinner but he told her politely that he had to go or his sister was going to have his ass. Well…that and Romano was coming over with Italy to cook them some linguini. America had that once at Italy's place but he screwed it up so Lovino decided this time he was going to be there just to make sure it didn't get f***ed up!

Anyways as America left Hungary walked into the music room where Roderich was playing and she didn't say anything but rather just listened. One thing she, as well as Joshua, was good at was just listening to Austria do his thing and whenever he finished the applause was always sincere from whomever was there listening at that time. It was something that the young master strove for every time he knew (or didn't know) he had an audience. Maybe that's why he's always so intense and focused on his music. That's a mystery that not even Josh could really solve.

"As always Austria that was beautiful." Hungary said to her friend as she came up alongside the piano. "Thank you Hungary" He began "this one was one I was working on before I got sick. It's a bit darker than even I would have liked but sadly it seems to have flowed better than the initial direction I was going for." he finished explaining and that's when Hungary spied a CD on the desk in the room and noted it was labeled "The Concert". She looked over to her friend and they decided to give it a listen and howdy were they pleasantly surprised even if one of the people involved was Prussia!

The main song the duo listened to was Joshua's performance with Prussia on "Brother" and were amazed at how skilled the two friends were working together. The lessons must've really helped Joshua out and were equally impressed at how…"mellow" Prussia was with the drums during the song. One would have really thought that for that one song they had one brain!

After listening to the song (as well as the rest of the CD) the duo went to the dining room to have dinner with Ridina and one of the Nordics in Finland. Apparently while Roderich was out one day Finland found his way to Austria's place and he and Ridina had a good chat. Part of the story also goes that he was very nervous around her at first but she quickly helped him get over his nerves and the two hit it off fine. When dinner came Austria too did his best to make Finland feel at home,

"Good evening sir" Austria began in his usual formal manner "I understand that you and my sister became pretty good friends recently. Is this true?" Roderich asked in as polite a manner as he could so as not to intimidate the young man and Finland just silently nodded while enjoying his dinner. Despite the fact that he was sitting next to Austria's sister he still felt a little nervous being there without his husband and this was noted by Hungary.

"Not used to being out without Sweden? Don't feel bad Finland when I go out and Roderich isn't with me people think we had a fight. Truthfully we aren't 'a couple' anymore but my friend here found someone very special for him recently." Hungary explained and Finland stopped eating for a second when he heard this. He knew about their marriage that they had and about the one that he had with Spain (thank God that's over with) but he didn't know he had someone else now.

"Is this true Mr. Austria? You really found someone else?" Finland asked and the young master nodded as he finished swallowing what he had eaten before explain his situation. "You know that nice young man that helped me out when I was sick? Well recently I think he finally came to grips with things and he asked me to be his steady. I don't think I have to tell you how happy I am about this do I?" Roderich asked and Finland shook his head "no" while also smiling because he knew about whom he was talking about.

"I'm so happy for you and Joshua Mr. Austria" He began "Joshua is such a good guy that there's no way he'll betray you. That man has a good head on his shoulders and if anyone thinks differently they got another thing coming. He was over our place not that long ago and we all had a good time. He made peace with me that night and I know he tried to count how many beers Denmark had but gave up at around six. I swear Den needs to learn to control himself a little bit better than that around Joshua at least." Finland explained and Austria nodded. Everything that Finland said matched the image that Joshua portrayed around him and the other countries. Was it an honest wonder that they were together?

As supper ended and Finland bid his good night Austria and Hungary were in the kitchen doing the dishes when Hungary asked the penultimate question and was surprised by her friends answer. "Austria" She began "what would you do if I went to try and date someone else?" she asked and Austria was quick with the answer "I'd be very supportive of it. You helped me out a lot when I needed you and even when I wasn't expecting it. I would support you with whatever you wanted to do and you know that. Hell I'd rather support you then that idiot Spain!" Roderich exclaimed and she smiled because she knew it would NEVER be him but she did have a surprise for him.

"So what if I told you then that I was thinking of MAYBE going out with America?" She asked and at first Roderich said squat. This alarmed her because she thought that maybe he was contemplating telling her to go pound sand after that revelation but instead got a much different response. "You've been thinking about this a long time haven't you darling?" Rod asked and she nodded as nervous as could be "Very well. You're a grown lady and I can't stop you even if I wanted to. If you ask him out though and he refuses then we might have problems. I just want you to be aware of that." He coolly told his friend and she nodded. Truthfully she didn't need his permission to go out with the American but she wanted his support at the very least and that is what she got!

_That night at America's place…_

*Ring Ring*

"Ello!" America bellowed into the phone as his usual greeting "What can I do for ya?" he asked waiting for a response on the other end. "America? Hey its me Hungary…" At this point America damn near dropped his phone just from hearing HUNGARY of all people on the other end "Oh hey bud" America said as he collected himself "what's going on? Prussia being a d**k again?" he asked the young lady but wasn't expecting the answer he was about to get.

"Nah nothing like that but I was wondering…are you doing anything in the next couple of days?" Hungary asked and as thick as America CAN be for this occasion he wasn't. "I have a meeting tomorrow and the day after but Friday I'm clear. Wanna go for some coffee somewhere?" He asked and, while he couldn't see it, the Hungarian woman was smiling! "That sounds good friend. I'll see you Saturday." Hungary said as they hung up the phone and America couldn't hide his grin in the least.

Now for the ultimate question: Where do you take someone like Hungary?


End file.
